I mean, not logical enough to actually do it, but they clearly considered the idea (and had a relative in the field) before diving in. So, thanks again. But the optimistic, God-fearing pair are now back in the game, trying their hand at mining in Guyana, on South Americas Caribbean coast, posting hair-raising videos on Instagram. George Wright have accepted positions as members of the Companys Big props to the crew if they really risked themselves like that to get the footage. Scott receives life-changing news that could change their gold mining futures. Thats when we realized our tragedy was good for the show, Lomu said. That summer, the men resumed their former routine, traveling to Ghana in shifts. Lomu responded by saying the things that happen on the show are 100% real, though he allowed that it's a tv show and things will get overly dramatized. But the robbery, which cut the season short at Episode 7, offered a convenient end to a story that was spiraling out of its creators control. People were actually angry! Donkor told me. One Ghanaian commenter wrote, This is a disgrace for a brand such as the Discovery Channel to glorify what these bandits are doing in our country.. Nature Treasure Hunting Adventure & Exploration On the night of Nov. 13, Lomu was returning alone from their mining site when he got a phone call from Maciass wife. After averaging 2.65 million viewers a week during its first season on Discovery Channel last fall, Jungle Gold is back, having started Season 2 on Aug. 11 (now airing on Sundays). And I think thats evidenced as anything by the things that Scott and I have been doing. Laborers were shown polluting water bodies with mercury, which is used to recover gold from other minerals. Theres a lot of feedback we get where people are just really inspired by the idea that we have a goal and were willing to do whatever it takes to obtain that goal. Greenhorn gold miners George Wright and Scott Lomu put everything on the line -- their lives included -- to hit pay dirt in the gold-rich and danger-filled jungles of Ghana. According to Wright and Lomu, a top Discovery executive told them, Your show is so real it's unreal.. In the Season 1 finale, Lomu stuffs the remains of their initial investment into his backpack and walks into the bush. The entire landscape of the mining industry over the last year has changed dramatically, and so we encountered a lot this season. They found it frustrating that Ghanaian ex-pats, many of whom were out of touch with the realities of Ghanas mining communities, criticized them for exploiting Ghanaians, when in fact, they said, theyd put unemployed Ghanaians to work. How did he come to acquire his assets? Clint Mishleau, the Companys CEO, stated, We are very pleased to have In Ghana, non-Ghanaians are allowed to mine on plots of more than 25 acres, known as large-scale concessions. When we first came to Ghana, we knew our investment could change the lives of people there, Lomu said. We didnt want them to present Ghana as a lawless place where foreigners can come and engage in illegal mining, he explained. The only money these guys will ever have is the money they get from the producer who pays them at least $20-30,000 per episode. The next few years were good for Wright and Lomu, who often exchanged tips about real estate deals. Villagers set up roadblocks and demanded hundreds of dollars. Genre Man vs. The stage is being set for a redemptive second season of Jungle Gold, they wrote. 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1975th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 975th year of the 2nd millennium, the 75th year of the 20th century, and the 6th year of the 1970s decade. Please subscribe here for answers, 1st video released today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS7g-l3-M5k. When I visited Aboagye in his cluttered office the following year, he told me hed requested a synopsis of the program the crew planned to make. But regardless of their portrayal onscreen, Wright and Lomu believed they had done more good than harm in Ghana. Its still higher than when we originally went to West Africa to find it. Snow-covered peaks rose in the distance behind him. They stop mining, protecting the environment and local communities. 43 min. How Does the CBS True Lies Series Compare to James Camerons 1994 Movie. Can you talk about your new colleague Dave Thomas? That Mormons would choose to deal gold in West Africa may seem odd, but the pursuit of gold carries historical significance in the Mormon church. It brought back a lot of stressful memories, Wright said. In June, they produced a series of short videos to show prospective investors. of this type of mining? Ghana challenged their intentions from the start. When Lomu suggested removing the miners by force, a chief replied: If you attempt it, they will kill you! The crew captured everything on film and loved it. Back in 2009, Scott Lomu and George Wright, two clean living Mormons, were trying to find a way to make money after suffering huge losses when the housing bubble popped the year before. George Wright and Scott Lomu, former real estate investors that lost everything in the 2008 crash, make the life-altering decision to travel to Ghana in West Africa to hunt for gold. In April 2015, they were hired by Utah-based mining company Ensurge to share their mining expertise in Guyana and help attract investors. locations., Scott Lomu stated, George and I have been approached numerous times to At the time, Wright and Lomu brawny, clean-living Mormons from Utah were in the midst of shooting Jungle Golds second season. Wright and Lomu had never imagined they would end up mining for gold in Ghana. In the most cases they also have children. Only the most coldhearted, inhumane person could spend more than an hour in Ghana and think to do that.. Who gave you permission to work here? Akwesi demands, before tackling the crews Ghanaian security guard. Villagers routinely set up roadblocks and demanded hundreds of dollars to pass. Wally was convinced it would happen, Wright said. (George: 100 duck sized horses for sure, Scott: 1 duck sized horse) (Will do videos for Karma), Jungle Gold on Discovery Channel this Sunday's 10/9c after Breaking Bad on AMC. We thought we could explain any misunderstandings to the government, Wright said. Fahiakobo was hit hard by the June 2013 crackdown. Filming at home. But none of them seemed I can hardly wait to see what drama they come up with next. And were kind of a fast-paced, explosive show, and I do think we attract a little bit younger audience. And its worked up to this point. I must agree sadly that this show is a total farce either that or we are looking at two of the most stupid people on earth (with really bad acting skills). That supports been really the lifeblood in this entire operation. He later learned Macias had become dependent on pain medication due to injuries he suffered in a roadside bomb attack. They hoped early struggles would lead to large profits by the end of the 10-episode run, benefiting . Then, in December 2014, they met Clint Mishleau. Focused on the action, the show failed to explain the complicated licensing process, causing many to assume they were mining illegally. Interview: Scott Lomu and George Wright of "Jungle Gold". You would make a good politician though, you could go cry with Speaker of the House John Boehner about how tough it is to support your trophy wife. Watch part 1 unfold here: http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/jungle-gold/videos/run-for-the-border-part-one.htm. They have to prove the new claim is stacked with gold or their investors will pull funding. We split the gold with the village, the farmers make a ton of money from us, we employ many, many locals, paying them 10X what they would normally make, we pay taxes, and contribute a ton to the local economy. Still, they thought the furor would blow over. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has over 62,000 members in Ghana, the second-highest membership in Africa behind Nigeria. When Lomu proposed gold dealing in Ghana, Macias needed no convincing. The two are former American real estate investors who lost everything in the 2008 market collapse, and are now over $1,000,000 in debt. Also, reclaiming and replanting was mentioned and shown, but sadly not near enough, like a 8 seconds. At the moment I jumped in, he was right over [our security guard] and was going to push his head underwater. The company owned a large mining operation in Guyana, a former British colony on the Caribbean coast of South America. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. I guess this is what your generation who grew up in a fancy world is all about. Ghanaian law prohibits non-Ghanaians from mining on plots of 25 acres or less, which make up Ghanas small-scale mining sector. Scott Lomu: Because weve moved from Friday to Sunday it seems like our audience has gotten a lot younger. Weve always felt like maybe we need to have the production company subtitle him with truth. Bottom line, hes surprised us in a lot of good ways, and hes surprised us in a lot of bad ways, as youll see in the season to come. Lomu and Wright promised to show people more respect and understanding. believe Ensurge has the potential to grow into a significant junior They were told by the Information Services Department that an arrest warrant had never officially been issued. It sounded like they were the target. Meanwhile, the pressure is on the boys to secure a wood-burning stove so the family can stay warm over winter. Whatever it is, thats what we realized they were saying I wish I could do that. Meaning that dream. Their families reaped the rewards of their hard work as both men enjoyed the American dream. They hired a former special services agent to beef up security and instituted a no-mercury policy, barring laborers from handling the toxic liquid. The cast and crew pulled into Fahiakobo that March. I was astonished, Mensah said months later. The dialogue is that of a B-rated actor and not free flowing as a Real conversation would be. A task force created by President John Mahama had flushed dozens of Chinese miners from the area, leaving many of the villages men unemployed. There are so many ways to help in Africa, but we are shining a light on the problem of clean water in Africa along with http://www.worldserveintl.org and http://www.peoplewater.com So please donate to World Serve if you are so moved to help this amazing organization. We lost a ton of money! Wright said. The show not only increased the chances theyd be recognized, he thought, it also provided a detailed map to their Season 1 mining claim, which lay on the same road as Fahiakobo. Could their adventures be a reality TV show? He is from . Ghanas Minerals Commission had taken to decrying what it called the illegal mining menace., These controversies presented possible PR problems. understanding of conducting mining operations in underdeveloped It shows A side of us, and we're hoping to show another side with you guys. Scott Lomu and George Wright, . BOOM! Lomu signaled for the check. Mensah was a reporter for Joy FM, one of Ghanas most popular news radio stations. Follows Americans George Wright and Scott Lomu, two hard working men who risk it all to strike it rich as part of a golden plan to recover from losing everything in the real estate crash of 2008. TV-PG. Not everything works out how you want it to, said Wright. Follows Americans George Wright and Scott Lomu, two hard working men who risk it all to strike it rich as part of a golden plan to recover from losing everything in the real estate crash of /10(). The two Americans will be tracked down and arrested, a Ghanaian official declared. Email. George Wright and Scott Lomu filming in Ghana for Jungle Gold. Jungle Gold. Now, Doyle gave its pilot a new mission: Extract the stars from Domenase and deliver them to Accra. In early August 2012, records show, several Raw crew members sat down with Joseph Aboagye, the Minerals Commissions stern director of policy, planning, monitoring, and evaluation. Literally, I have never been so scared, Wright told me. To ensure the most secure and best overall experience on our website, we recommend the latest versions of. A soaring Mormon temple, one of only three on the continent, sits in the heart of Accras commercial district, surrounded by European embassies. George: We met him towards the end of our last little stint out there. Upon arrival, the cast and crew had paid the landowner $50,000 and set up camp on the villages perimeter. The next six episodes unfolded in similar fashion. Scott: Things have been getting pretty tense in Ghana because our show has shed a lot of light on a lot of illegal mining activity happening in Ghana. Channel. As Richard Bushman, a professor emeritus of history at Columbia University, put it: Mormons think things will work out for the best.. They cast Wright and Lomu as hardworking family men engaged in a heroic struggle against hostile and uncooperative natives. Tens of thousands of foreigners, the majority of them Chinese, had flocked to the countrys rural mining regions since the recession, lured by stories of Klondike-caliber windfalls. When Doyle learned the arrest warrant had been extended to the crew, he called for an immediate evacuation. Oh my word, they think I killed him, he said. The crew had received press accreditation from the Information Services Department, he said. Comments: So now I'm just leaving this thing open . Building Element United to lead the mining industry to a profitable + sustainable future. The site itself was a wide clearing in the jungle scarred by gaping 20-foot pits, where Ghanaian laborers wrangled the equipment in pools of coffee-colored mud. By announcing gold existed in Fahiakobo on an international TV network, Tay believed Jungle Gold would attract other law-abiding American and European gold miners, slowly lifting the village out of poverty. The Minerals Commission claimed the crew had pushed ahead without adequate permissions and secretly asked the countrys National Security Agency to investigate them, fearing a stampede of greedy foreign miners, according to Buzzfeed. But on Macias and Wrights first trip in May 2010 (Lomu stayed behind in Utah), buying gold proved trickier than theyd anticipated. It was clearly time to go. What happens when a government shuts down an illegal camp is it basically displaces 80-100 local young men who no longer have a job. As the coastline faded in the distance, Wright leaned across the aisle. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, https://twitter.com/JungleGeorgeVI/status/365907125215576064, https://twitter.com/JungleGoldScott/status/365907460332068864, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFDu1cQjqGaj-3wBYavW1Hg/videos, http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=273569, http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/jungle-gold/videos/run-for-the-border-part-one.htm, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS7g-l3-M5k. A month later, the government cracked down illegal foreign miners, and thousands of Chinese nationals were also deported, removing a vital source of income for many villages. Instead, the men joined a mine support company, run by a fellow Mormon, in the nearby village of Romaso. The episode catalogued a series of ugly confrontations, including an illegal roadblock, the tense argument with tribal chiefs, and a risky back alley gold deal. Consumed with other business, hed all but forgotten about Raw. We work really hard and its really dangerous at times. This was never a get-rich-quick scheme. But we like to think our presence is making a difference. He was crushed to learn I was not. But Wright doesnt regret fighting back. Jungle Gold is back, having started Season 2 on Aug. 11 (now . George Wright and Scott Lomu of Discovery's "Jungle Gold" (Sundays at 10:00 p.m. entertaining gold mining program `Jungle Gold,' they have an So, gold fever its addictive. Get a job, get a life, get real. This show Insults the viewers into believing its a reality non-scripted show. I feel like its actually underappreciated and underdemonstrated in any medium. It begins now, Wright wrote. Lomu and Wright didnt head to Africa with dreams of reality TV stardom, and it seems having a camera crew around when youre trying to work is more of a pain than anything else. After a month of waiting, Alan Reece, the mining foreman, contacted the landowner for an update on his application. George Wright. Both men had worked in Utah's real estate market, had young families to support and debts piling up. Maybe little Scottie will have a headache or a hang nail as his next excuse for constant failure. But with the chaos of Season 1 fresh in mind, Discovery had imposed new conditions for Season 2. I can say that Parker is a cool kid, he's been supportive to us and so has Fred. To guarantee cell service in the bush, the company bought Raw a 30-foot antenna. He watched in puzzlement as Wright ordered an excavator driver to tear it all down. The program, he soon discovered, was set in Ghana. Petitions called for its cancellation and Wright and Lomu were attacked on social networks and in the media. Scott Lomu. Contact Jed Lipinski at jed.lipinski@gmail.com. provide mining consultation worldwide. You were slightly mislead. Unfortunately, sometimes, some of those kids will turn to armed robbery, and theyll rob other miners. We really liked the people of Ghana, the people we worked with. They amassed large portfolios of raw land and residential properties throughout Utah. Still, the acceptance of Mormonism in Ghana today belies a troubled history. In April 2013, it premiered on Ghanaian TV. It was shown because it's the main way of gold recovery in Africa, what they didn't show in the show was us trying to get our workers to wear gloves, our seeking for other separating methods that ultimately we didn't have money for at the time etc. Searching to find out more about George Wright? Despite their failures, the pair remain hopeful for the future. They hoped early struggles would lead to large profits by the end of the 10-episode run, benefiting both the stars and the villages they worked in. Phone calls from furious Ghanaian expatriates poured in. In exchange, he asked Wright and Lomu to put up $50,000. It described how miners were regularly killed or injured thanks to unsafe practices, with 150 dying when one unlicensed mine flooded, and how cyanide, lead and mercury, used to extract gold then dumped in rivers poisoned communities. Have you ever seen the show 'Gold Rush'? Only the most coldhearted, inhumane person could spend more than an hour in Ghana and think to do that. Building Element United to lead the mining industry to a profitable + future... Only the most secure and best overall experience on our website, we knew investment... Failures, the company bought Raw a 30-foot antenna had imposed new conditions Season... Owned a large mining operation in Guyana and help attract investors laborers were shown polluting water bodies with,. News radio stations or less, which make up Ghanas small-scale mining sector the nearby village of Romaso been! Security and instituted a no-mercury policy, barring laborers from handling the toxic liquid mining on plots 25! 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In Guyana, a chief replied: If you attempt it, they wrote Latter-day Saints over. Explain the complicated licensing process, causing many to assume they were saying wish.
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