S3 – E3 Disney's Wipeout: The Surf MachineThat Worked Too Well

BeforeSpace Mountain, before EPCOT, and before Walt Disney World became the vacationgiant we know today, Disney was experimenting with some truly wild ideas. Inthis episode, Mike takes you back to 1971 and explores one of the company'smost fascinating forgotten projects: a massive surfing attraction built rightin the middle of the Seven Seas Lagoon.

Whatstarted as an ambitious plan to let guests surf at Walt Disney World quicklyturned into an engineering headache. The waves were real. The surfing worked.And that was exactly the problem.

JoinMike as he shares the story of Disney executive and surfer Dick Nunis, thecreation of the lagoon's giant wave machine, and the unexpected chain reactionthat followed. Eroding beaches, damaged docks, seasick boat passengers,underwater maintenance nightmares, and one expensive lesson in what happenswhen imagination collides with reality.

It'sa tale of innovation, optimism, and a classic Disney experiment thatdisappeared beneath the waters of the Seven Seas Lagoon nearly as quietly as itarrived.

Plus,stick around for the answer to this episode's Disney trivia question: Whichresort hotel was the very first at Walt Disney World?

SometimesDisney's greatest stories aren't the attractions that succeeded. They're theones that failed in the most spectacular ways.

🎙️ Hosted by Mike Patrick
✨ Disney history, forgotten stories,behind-the-scenes legends, and the magic of imagining the impossible.

🌊 Before there wasTyphoon Lagoon... before there was Blizzard Beach... there was River Country.

Inthis episode, we journey back to Walt Disney World's very first water park, arustic swimmin' hole on the shores of Bay Lake that helped pioneer the modernthemed water park experience. From rope swings and sandy beaches to itsinnovative design and lasting influence on Disney history, River Country wasunlike anything Disney had built before.

I'llalso share a personal connection to the attraction, including my role indeveloping the original lifeguard staffing and emergency response conceptsduring its planning stages in the early 1970s.

We'llexplore:

✅ How River Country was conceived and built
✅ Why it felt so different from today'sDisney water parks
✅ The attractions and experiences guestsloved
✅ How Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beachchanged Disney's water park landscape
✅ The mysterious closure that left RiverCountry abandoned for years
✅ Why Disney fans remain fascinated by itslegacy decades later

SometimesDisney's most interesting stories aren't about what was built, but what wasleft behind.

Sograb a Dole Whip, settle in, and let's revisit the rise, fall, and enduringlegacy of the water park time forgot.

All aboard for a forgotten chapterof Walt Disney World history.

In this episode, Mike travels backto 1973, when Fort Wilderness was rapidly expanding and Disney was building anambitious steam railroad through the campground. What began as an exciting newtransportation system quickly became an unexpected adventure for a 20-year-oldlifeguard who was "voluntold" to oversee the operation.

From learning steam locomotiveengineering at Disney's train school, to reading about catastrophic boilerexplosions, to surviving a spectacular railroad work-cart crash that earned himfive stitches and a lifelong scar, Mike shares his firsthand experienceshelping bring the Fort Wilderness Railroad to life.

You'll hear how the railroad becamea guest favorite, why it struggled with Florida's sandy terrain and mechanicalproblems, and what ultimately led to its closure just a few years later. Alongthe way, Mike offers behind-the-scenes stories, Disney history, and a fewlaughs at his own expense.

Plus, find out the answer to thisepisode's trivia question: What is the oldest locomotive currently operating atWalt Disney World?

So gather up your belongings, watchyour head and step, and join Mike for another ride down the rivers of hisadventures.

Episode Description: In this episode, we close the incredible story of MyGal Sal, the B‑17 bomber that spent decades buried in Greenland’s ice.You’ll hear how she was found, studied, rescued, restored, and ultimatelyhonored in a way no one could have imagined.

This chapter also brings together thedescendants of the crew—nearly 100 people connected by one moment ofsurvival—and I share my own experience attending that unforgettable gathering.

And yes, we reveal the answer to our triviachallenge: only three B‑17s still fly today. A story ofresilience, remembrance, and the people who keep history alive

Episode Description — My Gal Sal, Part 1

An American B‑17 that never fired a shot becomes one of WWII’s most unlikely legends. In this episode, skipper and storyteller Mike Patrick takes you deep into the astonishing real‑life saga of My Gal Sal, B‑17E serial number 41‑9032 — a bomber whose forced landing on the Greenland icecap sparked one of the most daring Arctic rescues of the war.

Based on the definitive research of historian and retired Air Force fighter pilot Marc Feigenblatt, this chapter unfolds the chaos of Operation Bolero, the desperate struggle for survival on the ice, and the extraordinary ingenuity of the crew — including TSgt John Patrick — whose quick thinking kept their radios alive long enough to be found.

You’ll meet legendary aviator Bernt Balchen, Navy PBY pilot Lt. Aram Parunak, and the rescue team whose courage turned an impossible mission into a triumph. It’s a story of skill, grit, and heroism that still echoes through WWII history today.

Stay tuned for Part 2 — and don’t miss the trivia answer at the end.

S2 - E10🎙️ Episode Description

Two rivers of adventure converge in this episode of The Prospectors Podcast. Host Mike Patrick shares the story of how a classic Hudson & Landry sketch — “The Prospectors” — shaped his first day at Busch Gardens Tampa in 1976. Then, listener Harriet recounts a hilarious family moment from 1984, when her toddler mistook the walking Shamu for a monster.

From cold campfires to costumed whales, both tales circle back to one unforgettable line: “I couldn’t live like that.”

Includes trivia on Busch Gardens’ earliest attractions and a reminder that sometimes, timing and perspective make all the difference.

Mike also teases an upcoming 2 parter on his uncle's WWII B-17 My Gal Sal. Written by the leading expert on the crash, rescue, recovery & restoration of the famous plane.

S2 – E9 "It was Just a Joke"

A stowaway in the killer whale pool, a shock‑jockradio hoax, and a corporate showdown that nearly pulled millions in advertisingdollars—Season 2, Episode 9 dives into one of the wildest weeks in SeaWorldOrlando history.

Host Mike Patrick recounts the aftermath of the Daniel Dukes incident andthe chaos that followed when a Tampa DJ claimed his producer was hiding insidethe park, triggering a full‑scale search, national headlines, and aconfrontation with August Busch III himself.

This episode blends theme‑park operations, media madness, and corporatemuscle into a story that proves some “jokes” go way too far. Stay tuned for thetrivia answer: How many SeaWorld parks have existed, and where were theylocated?

🎙️ S2 • E8 — Mission Creep!

Fifty years. Five continents. Countless missions. Oneincredible journey.

In this episode, Mike Patrick takes you around the worldthrough a lifetime of faith‑based service, disaster relief deployments, and theunforgettable moments that shaped his perspective on resilience, gratitude, andthe human spirit. From volcanic ash in Costa Rica, mountain villages inGuatemala, and post‑invasion Panama… to the front lines of Hurricane Dorianwith Team Rubicon, Mike shares the raw, real, and often harrowing experiencesthat come with answering the call to help.

You’ll hear stories of danger, humor, heartbreak, and hope —including how a Swiss generator, a Bahamian helicopter mishap, and a mansionfull of REMFs all became part of one of the wildest deployments of his career.

Plus: today’s trivia answer reveals the U.S. player whoscored America’s first goal after a 40‑year World Cup absence.

If you love adventure, service, and stories that remind youwhat people can accomplish together, this episode delivers.

 Short Description — S2 • E7

Mike Patrick returns with two wild Summit Stories — a downhill bike crash that leads to a helicopter ride, and a high‑speed sprint down the WV Turnpike to reunite an injured camper with his interpreter. Plus, a legendary poker game at Thurmond’s Dun Glen Hotel that supposedly ran far longer than anyone would believe. Think you know how long? Tune in for the reveal.

S2 - E6 1,000 Days till Jamboree

A 3 a.m. call in Abu Dhabi. A $50 million gift. Ten thousandacres of raw wilderness. And a deadline: 1,000 days. In this episode, MikePatrick reveals the high‑stakes, high‑adventure story behind the creation ofthe Summit Bechtel Family Reserve — the permanent home of the National ScoutJamboree. Packed with behind‑the‑scenes details, massive engineering feats, andthe spirit of Scouting at its best, this is the origin story of a place builtto challenge, inspire, and transform