Who is Craig Tester? The engineer solving Oak Island’s puzzle
Find out how engineer and drilling expert Craig Tester has helped in the hunt for buried treasure on Sky HISTORY series The Curse of Oak Island.
Image: Craig Tester (L) met Marty Lagina (R) while they were both studying at Michigan Technological University | The Curse of Oak Island
Among history buffs, mention of Oak Island stokes excitement and speculation. Is there really a massive hoard of treasure buried on this island in Canada’s Nova Scotia province? One man striving for answers is engineer Craig Tester.
He has appeared regularly on the Sky HISTORY series The Curse of Oak Island since it began. However, his calm, self-effacing demeanour means his good work on the reality show has too often gone unnoticed.
There’s no doubt that brothers Rick and Marty Lagina have long been the show’s most prominent faces. In contrast, Craig Tester could be classed as its unsung hero, working (largely) behind the scenes to keep the team’s various archeological expeditions running smoothly.
A quick bio of Craig Tester
Craig Tester was born on 16th February 1961 in Glendale, California. In the 1970s, he studied mechanical engineering at Michigan Technological University, where he was also college roommates with Marty Lagina.
The two men later took their friendship into the business world. In the 1980s, they co-founded Terra Energy, a gas and oil company based in Michigan. Later still, Craig and Marty co-founded another company, Heritage Sustainable Energy, with a focus on wind farm projects.
Craig and Marty are also co-owners of Oak Island Tours Inc. As the name suggests, this company takes holidayers on tours around the island, which is privately owned. Owned by who? The Curse of Oak Island’s cast — including Craig Tester himself.
What is Craig Tester’s role on the show?
Craig is credited as a producer on The Curse of Oak Island. At the time of writing, he has also made on-screen appearances in almost 200 episodes of the show since it started way back in 2014.
There’s no doubt that Craig has put his expertise in engineering, drilling and resistivity to good use. He has aided the Lagina brothers by scouting potential locations for future digs. Once the brothers have settled on a location, Craig has also been heavily involved in planning the intended excavation.
It’s been very much a family affair for him, too. His stepson Jack Begley has often been tasked with the (literally) dirty work of handling the digs. Jack and Craig are not biologically related. The former was born on 23rd August 1975, before his mother Rebecca married Craig.
Craig’s most memorable moments on the show
There’s no shortage of fan favourites among The Curse of Oak Island’s cast. Just think of metal detectorist Gary Drayton, with his humorous catchphrases like ‘That’s a Bobby Dazzler’, and down-to-earth metallurgist Emma Culligan.
Craig Tester has been a somewhat subdued presence on the show. However, his role as a consultant to the Laginas has enabled him to chip in with valuable advice. With his level-headedness, he has helped his teammates to draw vital conclusions about relics unearthed on Oak Island. Here are just some memorable moments…
Tragedy strikes
Craig’s biological son Drake appeared in some early episodes of The Curse of Oak Island. However, in 2017, news broke that Drake had passed away.
Drake was only 16 years of age at the time of his death. The cause of death was reported to be a seizure disorder, with Drake having suffered occasional outbreaks of the condition since his birth.
On the show, Craig revealed that he would leave Oak Island to mourn with his wife back home in Travis City, Michigan. Craig’s departure was only temporary, as he returned to The Curse of Oak Island the following season.
Drake had previously helped his father try to trace the location of the island’s fabled ‘Money Pit’. After his death, the team decided that a borehole they intended to drill at the Money Pit’s supposed location would be named ‘DMT’ — Drake’s initials.
Are Shakespeare manuscripts buried on Oak Island?
After discovering an intriguing-looking remnant of material, the Laginas and Craig have it analysed in the fifth season episode ‘The Lot Thickens’. The fragment is found to be leather with possibly some parchment attached.
It’s consistent with bookbinding, leading Craig to point out the long-enduring theory that Shakespeare’s manuscripts are buried at Oak Island. These are thought to be early editions of Shakespeare’s plays, or at least plays purported to be written by him.
The Elizabethan playwright is one of many historical figures linked to the Oak Island mystery. To learn more about the others, why not subscribe to the Sky HISTORY Newsletter?
