This Photo was taken in 1961. My Dad and I spent a couple of hours talking to Mr. Restall that day.

Oak Island is a 57-hectare (140-acre) privately owned island in Lunenburg County on the south shore of Nova Scotia, Canada. The tree-covered island is one of about 360 small islands in Mahone Bay and rises to a maximum of 11 meters (36 feet) above sea level. The island is located 200 meters (660 feet) from shore and is now connected to the mainland by a causeway and gate built in 1965. The island is best known for various theories about possible buried treasure or historical artifacts, and the associated exploration.

For more than a century and a half, there have been treasure hunts, investigations and excavations on Oak Island. There are many theories about what, if anything, might be buried or concealed there. Areas of interest on the island with regard to treasure hunters include a location known as the Money Pit, a formation of boulders called Nolan's Cross, the beach at Smith's Cove, and a triangle-shaped swamp. The Money Pit area has been repeatedly excavated; critics argue that there is no treasure and that the Money Pit is a natural phenomenon.

Robert Restall, and his 18-year-old son came to Oak Island in 1959 after signing a contract with one of the property owners. In 1965 they attempted to seal off what was thought to be a "flood tunnel" in Smith's Cove, and dug a shaft there down to 27 feet (8.2 m). On August 17, 1965, Robert Restall was overcome by carbon monoxide fumes emanating from a gasoline engine that was operating at the top of the shaft. Restall's son then went down the shaft, and also lost consciousness. After seeing what was unfolding, Karl Graeser, Restall's partner, went down as well along with two other workers named Cyril Hiltz and Andy DeMont in an attempt to save the two men. A visitor to the site named Edward White had himself lowered on a rope into the shaft, but White sadly was able to bring out only DeMont, which left four people dead.