Dave Blankenship was a steady presence onThe Curse of Oak Islandfor several seasons, but suddenly, he was gone. Secrets andtreasure abound onThe Curse of Oak Island, a History Channel TV series that takes place on the eponymous island, located on the south shore of Nova Scotia. Brothers Marty and Rick Lagina moved to the island after hearing about the curious history there, intending to investigate it to its fullest extent. There have been 12 seasons of the show now, with many people coming and going from the cast.
Dan Blankenship was an original treasure seeker on Oak Island for nearly 50 years when the Laginas arrived and helped the brothers with their searches, despite being over 90 years old for most of his time on the show. Dan passed away at 95 before the start of season 7, but his son, Dave, continued on, at least for a while.Dave is one of only three permanent inhabitants of the island and is partially paralyzedfrom a past industrial accident.A fan favorite onThe Curse of Oak Island, viewers were sad to see that he suddenly disappeared.
Dave May Have Been Frustrated With How The Producers Treated His Father
Dave Blankenship leftThe Curse of Oak Islandafter season 7for some unknown reason. Some fans onRedditspeculate that hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic kept Dave away from season 8, and he simply never returned. Another theory suggests that there was some bad blood between Dave andThe Curse of Oak Islandproducers. In a since-deleted Facebook comment, attributed to Dave Blankenship, and only viewable onImgur, Dave writes about his reason for leaving the show,
“I have quit the show when they left 50 years out of my dad and went Restall to Laginas. That night I quit and they will not say anything about me.”
There’s no way to verify this comment without Dave himself coming forward, but the websiteMysteries of Canadaalso posits this same theory. In this story, Dave was frustrated withThe Curse of Oak Islandfor never giving his father the proper due for his part in uncovering the secrets and treasures there, essentially making the show the hit that it has been. This is all alleged, of course, and there have been no official statements about Dave’s disappearance. It’s a somewhat fitting mystery for a show obsessed with them.
Dave Blankenship’s Injury, Explained
Dave Was Injured On A Construction Job In 1986
It’s possible that Dave left the show due to his injury, partial paralysis. While working at a construction site as a steelworker on July 14, 2025, a heavy air compressor snapped the boom of a crane, sending its cable whipping around wildly (MysteriesOfCanada). The cable snapped into Dave’s knees, sending him 46 feet through the air and smashing through the window of the crane’s cab. His hard hat pinched his carotid artery against the window frame, andDave suffered a stroke that put him into a coma. Dave said about his coma,
“[The doctors] told mom and dad that I was going to be a vegetable and never get out of bed again. They forgot to tell me!”
Dave did end up getting out of bed, and soon,he had recovered most of his bodily functions, though the left side of his body still has significant numbness. Dave has a good outlook on his injury, saying,
“I hardly ever swore. Now I swear like a f***ing sailor… If it comes in my mind, it comes out my mouth.”
It’s one of the reasons Dave Blankenship and his father worked so well onThe Curse of Oak Island. They were never afraid to speak their minds and could often stop the Laginas from doing something exceptionally ill-advised. They were the real caretakers of the island and their presence on it made the work of the show feel like something more intimate.
The Curse Of Oak Island
Cast
This reality television series follows the efforts of brothers Marty and Rick Lagina as they explore Oak Island in search of historical artifacts and treasure. The show documents their investigations into the mysterious island’s secrets, delving into theories about its buried riches and exploring past attempts to uncover them.
