Wanted: Dead or Alive

Alaskan dredgers brave the frigid Bering Sea hoping to strike gold. They put their lives and their livelihoods at stake as they dive to the ocean floor and vacuum gold with makeshift hose pumps. Many of these first-time dredge captains have small budgets and big debts so they are willing to risk everything for a few ounces of that precious metal.

A bar brawl threatens not only Shawn's health but the Christine Rose's future. The Wild Ranger's luck is getting worse as they're down a man and have sprung a leak. The Sluicey's Ian calls in a friend who offers both experience and criticism.

Egos are bruised and tempers flare onboard the dredges; Emily learns the dangers of dredging on her first dive.

It's halfway through the season and the crews are feeling the pressure to find new gold-producing spots. On the Wild Ranger, Scott's limited patience with his crew is wearing even thinner, but they keep finding new ways to get under his skin. Cody has an accident on the Christine Rose and greenhorn Emily inadvertently drags Zeke along the sea floor as she maneuvers the Clark.

A season of unresolved grievances comes to a head; the owner of the Wild Ranger fires a crew member; Emily falls overboard.

Two dredge crews are involved in a potentially life-threatening car accident while out together on a frigid night. On the Christine Rose, Cody is thrown overboard due to the incompetence of a deckhand. Vernon realizes the Wild Ranger is losing gold from the sluice box and decides to be more proactive in the operation.

The end of the season is closing in and the crews scramble to finish with a profit, but infighting threatens to derail their last-minute gold-mining efforts. Zeke and Emily have different ideas about the state of their relationship and Scott M. humbles himself to request a conversation with Steve Riedel. Meanwhile, Scott Foster is tired of working for Ian on the Sluicey and Steve deals with his own disgruntled employee's lack of trust.

The ice has arrived and the crews have one last chance to dive for riches. Zeke and Ian are solo after losing their deckhands, but they each decide to dive alone. Scott M. is thrown a lifeline after quitting the Wild Ranger and the Pomrenkes get ready to bid on mining leases at auction for next summer's dredging season.

The four dredge crews recount their experiences diving for gold in Nome. The Wild Ranger's Scott and Vern have a tense reunion that turns violent and the Pomrenkes discuss the difficulties of working in the family business. Finally, Zeke and Emily have an awkward conversation about the status of their relationship and whether or not they will continue to work together next season.

The crews discuss the mining lifestyle and risks taken when searching for gold at the bottom of the sea. Shawn recounts the day he was stabbed in a bar fight and Zeke confronts Ian and Scott foster about their betrayal of Emily's father, Steve Riedel.