He is a man who has spent most of his life chasing a dream: to find gold in the frigid waters of the Bering Sea. He is a man who has faced countless challenges, risks, and losses in pursuit of his passion. He is a man who has never given up, even when the odds were against him. He is Vernon Adkison, the captain of the Wild Ranger and one of the stars of the Discovery Channel’s hit show, Bering Sea Gold.
In this article, we will take a closer look at the life and career of Vernon Adkison, the treasure hunter, the reality TV personality, and the ship pilot. We will explore his background, family, marriage and kids. We will also reveal some of the facts and myths that have surrounded him. If you are a fan of Bering Sea Gold, or if you are curious about the world of underwater gold mining, you will not want to miss this exclusive story of Vernon Adkison, the wild ranger of the Bering Sea.
Early Life:
Vernon Adkison was born on June 4, 1946, in the United States. As of today, Adkison has not revealed any information on his parents and siblings. Even though facts on Vernon’s early life are scant, we do know he spent part of it in California. He later attended Laney College in Oakland, California. He is also an alum of the University of South Carolina.
Personal Life:
Vernon Adkison married Mary Brocato in 1981. Their wedding took place in Texas. Not much information has surfaced about Mary besides the fact, she is Vernon’s first wife.
After the divorce, Vernon married Elisia D Barlow in early 1989. The two had their first child Elaine Adkison in Aug of 1990. Two years later in Aug 1992, they had another girl Yvonne Adkison. This marriage also ended in a divorce. Elisia is from texas and now lives in Homer, Alaska. She goes by the name Elisia Thompson as per the surname of her current husband.
As they say, the third time is the charm, Vernon is currently married to Arlene Adkison. Vernon and Arlene wedded on September 26, 2003, and have been together ever since. The couple resides in Homer, Alaska. Married in the profession, Arlene is used to sea life and worked as a crew member of a cruise ship in the past.
Vernon Adkison daughters
Learning the ropes both daughters joined Vernon in the family gold mining business. They also made regular appearances in the series “Bering Sea Gold.” Yvonne Adkison worked as a dive tender until arrested for incarceration. It was revealed that Yvonne was involved in a drug-related scheme and sentenced to two-year jail time. After her time behind the bars, Yvonne works in a different line of work. She now owns and operates a hair salon in Fairbanks, Alaska. Eldest Elaine Adkison worked as a deckhand and helps her father run the mining vessel, Wild Ranger. She made her “Bering Sea Gold” debut in 2012 and appeared in 27 episodes until 2020.
Professional Career:
Vernon has led a diverse career path. A seafarer at heart, Vernon began his career as Merchant Marine and over the years transitioned to a commercial sea captain and gold mining. He worked on a VLCC ship and captained the vessel for over two decades and during that time he traveled to exotic destinations. He later switched to Central Alaska and bought his first mining dredge, aboard the Wild Ranger, Vernon set out to sea to change his fortune.
Television Appearances:
As the success story of Gold mining under the Bering Sea came to light, the context was picked up for a reality television series Bering Sea Gold. The series airs on the Discovery Channel and has been critically acclaimed by fans around the world.
Adkison joined the cast of Bering Sea Gold in 2012. Even though he boosted many years of experience in piloting a ship gold mining in the harsh environment of the Bering Sea came as a totally different prospect. Following the debut, he made regular appeareances on the show and currently is part of Bering Sea Gold season 15 which premiered on Discovery Channel on December 6, 2022. From 2012-2023, Adkison made over 112 episode appearances. At this point, we can say Adkison is an experienced sea gold miner with over a decade of mining experience. Other than Adkison, the show includes a rich list of sea captains including Emily Riedel, Zeke Tenhoff, Cody Moen, Steve, and Shawn Pomrenke.
In addition to his part in the Bering Sea, Adkison is credited as the cast of spinoffs “Bering Sea Gold: Under the Ice” and “Bering Sea Gold: After the Dredge.” He also appeared in one episode of “Gold Rush: The Dirt” in 2020.
Net Worth:
From his career in reality television, Vernon has managed to rake up a considerable amount of money. Vernon Adkison makes most of his money from gold mining expeditions aboard Wild Ranger. As of now, Vernon’s net worth is estimated to be over USD 2.5 M.
Wiki/Bio Facts
| Full name | Vernon Adkison. |
| Age | 76 years old |
| Date of Birth | June 4, 1946 |
| Place of Birth | United States |
| Resident | Homer, Alaska |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Caucasian |
| Religion | Christian |
| Gender | Male |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Education | University of South Carolina |
| Profession | Ship Captain, Gold miner, Reality Television Personality |
| Net worth | Over $2.5 million. |
| Relationship Status | Committed |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife | Arlene Adkison (2003- present) |
| First Wife | Mary Brocato (m.1981) |
| Second Wife | Elisia D Barlow (m.1989) |
| Children | Yvonne Adkison, Elaine Adkison |
| Height | N/A |
| Weight | N/A |
| Zodiac Sign | Gemini |
| Social Media Handle |
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