"I need that money"- Gold Rush star Rick Ness opens up about making a mistake worth $150,000

Season 15 of Gold Rush premiered on Discovery, marking the return of the charismatic miners who have enthralled audiences since the show's inception in 2010. The latest installment follows the journey of several seasoned miners, including stars like Parker Schnabel and Rick Ness.

In the fifth episode of season 15, Rick Ness's costly blunder resulted in a substantial six-figure loss. The Gold Rush star had been grappling with financial woes, prompting him to make a daring decision. He sold off his assets to purchase a $150,000 12-inch pump for his Monster Red, but this investment proved to be a mistake.

The pump failed to sluice, which he felt was disappointing and his crew revealed a critical error, Rick had purchased a volume pump instead of a pressure pump. This mistake brought gold mining operations to a halt, exacerbating Rick's financial woes. With his initial plan to sluice 300 yards per hour and uncover 1,500 ounces of gold now in jeopardy, Rick was desperate to rectify the situation.

"I need that money in my account. I need that money to pay bills, and here we are," exclaimed Rick Ness.

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Gold Rush star Rick Ness feared his excavator going into quicksand

Rick has been experiencing a dismal start to season 15. His 190-foot Rally Valley Cut, intended to yield sufficient gold to settle his debts, was overwhelmed by a torrent of muddy water. As soon as his crew initiated sluicing operations, the cut became inundated, which raised concerns among the crew that the excavator might become trapped in the treacherous terrain.

Rick and his team were forced to extract the machinery as the former feared the excavator would fall into quicksand. In an effort to fix the issue, Rick acquired a 40-year-old cannon to assist the pump in diluting the dense mixture. However, the operation was compelled to halt for over a day, further increasing his woes.

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Gold Rush's Parker Schnabel runs into trouble in permafrost

Parker Schnabel had been struggling to meet his weekly gold mining targets in Gold Rush season 15, with the pressure mounting to double his output. Despite being aware of the challenges ahead, Parker has set an even more ambitious goal for the upcoming week, putting additional strain on his crew.

Parker's team had a disappointing debut week, extracting only 30.80 ounces of gold, valued at $77,000. Since then, they have faced relentless obstacles, including delayed operations and difficulties with the Long Cut ground. Parker divided his crew to tackle different areas, but the results were underwhelming, with the Roxanne wash plant being the only notable exception, yielding 99.45 ounces.

After three weeks, Parker's total gold recovery stands at 135.85 ounces, a significant reduction from his expectations. Undeterred, Parker aims to triple this number, but the reality of his situation makes this goal seem increasingly unattainable. His land is yielding minimal results, and ongoing equipment issues are hindering progress, making it unlikely that he will reach his ultimate goal of 10,000 ounces.

Parker's Long Cut plant had been becoming a liability due to daily setbacks that threatened to derail his entire operation. In the latest episode of Gold Rush, Parker's crew began thawing the frozen ground in preparation for sluicing. Mitch Blaschke expressed concerns that the gold pay layer had sunk lower than anticipated, sparking fears that it could have plummeted a disastrous 20 feet or more.

To assess the situation, Parker was forced to rent a sonic drill at $20,000 per day. However, a glimmer of hope emerged when he discovered that the gold pay layer was only 15 feet above the bedrock, averting a potential catastrophe. Meanwhile, the relentless struggles at the Long Cut plant are taking a toll on Parker's crew, creating rifts that could ultimately lead to another massive setback.