The Curse of Oak Island star Dan Blankenship has passed away after a long and seemingly fulfilling life.
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"We are saddened by the loss of Dan Blankenship. He will be greatly missed and our thoughts are with his family during this difficult time," A&E Networks told Fox News in a statement on Monday.
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The cause of Dan's death has yet to be publicly announced.
The Curse of Oak Island's Prometheus Entertainment production company also expressed its condolences to the Blankenship family.
"We would like to extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to the family of Dan Blankenship who passed away yesterday at the age of 95," the production company tweeted Monday.
"Dan was known as a pillar of strength to those around him and we will be forever grateful for the time we had with him."
News of Dan's passing spread when Friends of Oak Island's Facebook page posted about the loss.
"It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing of Daniel Blankenship," the post read.
"A true Oak Island legend, Dan was a respected and admired man. His perseverance, ingenuity and passion inspired all. Safe Journey, Dan. We will all miss you, and your legacy will be a part of us, always."
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Dan began searching for the island's alleged treasure in 1965 after he read about the Oak Island legend in an issue of Reader's Digest while he was living in Florida.
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He eventually moved to Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1970 to search full-time for Oak Island's legendary fortune and spent over 50 years searching, drilling and digging for treasure.
"It is way too late [to turn back]," Dan said in his bio on the show's official website.
"It's been too late for a good many years. I had a good contracting business in Florida. I had friends, a good reputation and I shucked it all to come up here and make a gamble."
The Curse of Oak Island premiered on History in 2014 and its sixth season is currently airing on the network.
The series follows brothers Rick Lagina and Marty Lagina, Dan's son David Blankenship, and Marty's former college roommate Craig Tester on their quest to find a mythical secret treasure on an island in Canada.
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A new episode of The Curse of Oak Island will air Tuesday night at 9PM ET/PT on History.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
