On Idaho Today, host Mellisa Paul caught up with the latest from Discovery's "Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch" in Monday's entertainment segment.
Treasure hunting takes a paranormal twist in this show, which takes on a unique spin as the show's main stars, father and son Duane and Chad Ollinger, explore the many underground caverns beneath a 160-acre ranch in Eastern Utah.
The strange name of the ranch, Blind Frog Ranch, was given as a reference to the blind frogs inhabiting the grounds. When the Ollingers drilled some of the tunnels, pools of water flooded some underground spots, and up with the water arose hundreds of frogs who had spent their lives in the darkness underground. They were blind in the daylight.
A Texas oilman, Duane Ollinger, made tons of dough hunting black crude. He had an opportunity to purchase land in the Uintah Mountains of Eastern Utah, initially intending to create a wellness center.
Things changed rapidly as the land yielded odd findings. Ollinger brought in respected scientists like geologist Eric Drummond to sort out why devices went haywire and electronic gear malfunctioned at every turn. Along with rare metals like iridium, meteorites were found on the land. Duane's son Chad Ollinger sold his home and his crop-dusting business in Texas to relocate to Utah. Chad does many of the diving explorations in the flooded tunnels that have found unusual finds; they have even found some of the coins they believe are part of a more considerable treasure along with the rare metals.
Blind Frog Ranch has a spooky history, too. Chad Ollinger told me in a previous interview, "That's what we hear from the majority of people we speak to, whether it's Native Americans or just the local townspeople. They are quite hesitant and worried about what we're doing. No doubt about it."
Now, the Ollingers stage tours of the property for tourists and sell branded merchandise as the show continues its search for lost gold.
The latest interview with the Ollingers is found in The Idaho Press.
"Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch" airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Discovery Channel.
You can watch "Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch" on several streaming platforms, including:
Discovery+
fuboTV
YouTube TV
Sling TV
Philo
You can also stream the series by purchasing or renting Amazon, iTunes, and Google Play.