Kevin Jupina

As a young disabled Navy vet, Kevin Jupina had the odds stacked against him. Debilitating back problems coupled with an unstable economy left him with few options and little hope for the future. That is until Discovery Channel's Bering Sea Gold took a chance on this veteran diver and gave him a fresh start as a main character in this compelling weekly reality show. Bering Sea Gold illustrates the dangerous world of gold mining on the frigid ocean floor. The show follows teams of gold miners run by driven dredge captains. Present day underwater gold mining requires split second thinking, extreme focus, and teamwork in order to stay alive and stay profitable. While Kevin's life has always revolved around diving, there was a time when he was unsure of his future. In high school, Kevin became a certified recreational diver and then pursued a career in the military as a Navy diver. After several years in the Navy, Kevin sustained injuries that would shake up his well thought out plans. During training at MDSUII (Mobile Diving & Salvage Unit 2), Jupina experienced a major setback. "A group of us were refurbishing a dive boat, that's when the first injury occurred," Kevin recalls, "I was put on limited duty for 2 months and was almost dropped from dive school." The injury was difficult for Kevin to handle, both physically and emotionally, but he pressed on. After completing dive school, Kevin completed his tour of duty in Guantanamo Bay. Due to persistent back and neck injuries his Navy career was officially over and he was honorably discharged from the Navy. While recovering from his injuries, Kevin worked in his uncle's dive shop. Ultimately Kevin knew this path was not going to allow him to support a family and that left him feeling painfully discouraged. Kevin's life took a sharp turn for the better when he met his wife. She gave him the pure strength and encouragement he needed to pursue his passion for life once again. Although it had been twelve years since he had been active in professional diving, the two of them decided dredging for gold in Nome, Alaska would be the best way for Kevin to provide for his wife and children. After careful planning and preparation, Kevin set off for Nome and was quickly picked up by Captain Vernon Adkison, a familiar face on this docu-series as the owner of the dredge boat, Wild Ranger.