Who is Alex Lagina? The engineer behind the Oak Island mystery
Alex Lagina is a key player in The Curse of Oak Island treasure-hunting reality show. Read on to find out more about him and his discoveries on the show.
Image: Alex Lagina | The Curse of Oak Island
Treasure hunting might seem like a pastime found in movies, books or video games. However, treasure hunting isn’t only possible for the likes of Lara Croft and Indiana Jones! There are plenty of explorers out there who seek to find the hidden wonders buried deep in our world, such as the cast of the reality show The Curse of Oak Island.
Premiering in 2014, the show follows two brothers, Rick and Marty Lagina. It focuses on their quest to find legendary treasure on a small island off the coast of Nova Scotia.
Rick and Marty are joined by a whole team of fellow treasure hunters, all of whom play their part during the series. One such team member is Alex Lagina, an engineer and the son of Marty Lagina.
If you’re as big of a fan of the show as we are at Sky HISTORY, you’re probably keen to learn more about Alex. This article covers everything you need to know, including his role in The Curse of Oak Island.
Alex Lagina’s life
Alex Lagina was born in Traverse, Michigan, in 1987. As mentioned, he is the son of Marty Lagina – a vineyard operator, television personality, and engineer – and nephew of Rick Lagina, the two stars of The Curse of Oak Island.
Alex also has a sister called Maddie Lagina and a mother – Margaret Olivia Lagina – who attended Reuters College and has a geological engineering degree.
Engineering is a subject that runs in the Lagina family, as Alex attended the University of Michigan to study mechanical engineering. He graduated with his degree in 2008.
When he is not treasure hunting with his family, Alex works for his father as general manager at the Mari Vineyards.
Alex’s role in The Curse of Oak Island
Alex’s engineering skills make him a key player in The Curse of Oak Island cast. His technical knowledge is invaluable during the teams' expeditions. Alex is also a qualified diver, another skill that is indispensable when it comes to treasure hunting on an island!
As the son and nephew of the team’s two major players, Alex also gets a say in important strategies and decisions during the exploration and treasure-hunting process. However, his expertise in engineering and his other skills make him an important part of the team rather than his familial connections.
Alex’s discoveries in The Curse of Oak Island
Alex has been present for several fascinating discoveries on the show, but he was directly involved in some of them. Let’s take a look at some of the finds that Alex Lagina had a hand in discovering.
Musket ball
In season nine, episode 14, Alex and Gary Drayton – an expert in metal detecting – came across a musket ball on lot 32.
It was difficult to pin down an exact date for when the ball might have been used. According to Drayton, the heaviness of the artifact meant that it could have been fired as early as the late 1500s or much later in the mid-1800s (as well as anywhere in between).
So many questions came with this discovery, as it was found close to the site of a potential wharf. Why had a musket been fired in this kind of location? Was there a dispute over possible buried treasure, or was it purely a coincidence? This was a particularly fascinating find, and Alex and Gary were instrumental in the find.
Copper coin
Alex and Gary were behind another fascinating find in season four, episode six. Alongside Jack Begley, stepson of Marty Lagina’s business partner Craig Tester, they discovered a copper coin.
The coin was found on lot 6, an area previously owned by former slave Samuel Ball. The British coin was thought to have been minted during the rule of King William III. It could have been from anywhere between the late 1600s to the early 1700s.
The discovery was the first of many coins in the area. Not only was it an interesting discovery in itself, but it led to a whole plethora of other discoveries too.
Looking to find out more about the discoveries on The Curse of Oak Island? Or are you interested in more general history news and stories? Make sure to sign up for the Sky HISTORY newsletter to stay up to date on everything you need to know about a range of historical topics!
