Vernon Adkison Wiki/Bio: Net Worth, Divorce, Wife, Kids, Gold Mining Career, Bering Sea Gold & Military Background

If you’ve followed Bering Sea Gold, you’ve probably seen Vernon Adkison behind the wheel of the Wild Ranger—gritty, experienced, and never one to shy away from a challenge. But long before reality TV, Vernon had already built a career few could match. From jumping out of planes with the 82nd Airborne to piloting ultra-large ships across Southcentral Alaska, his life has been anything but ordinary.

After more than five decades at sea, Vernon traded commercial piloting for gold mining in Nome. What followed was a second act—one filled with cold dives, custom dredges, and a new kind of pressure beneath the surface of the Bering Sea. Off camera, he’s a father, husband, and someone who’s been open about navigating aging, health, and staying sharp.

This profile dives into Vernon’s journey—from military beginnings to maritime mastery, reality TV fame, and the lifestyle he’s built along the way.

Early Life

Born on June 4, 1946, Vernon Adkison grew up in the South, where childhood meant long days spent outdoors, roaming the woods, playing ball, and swimming by the river. Without adults constantly watching over his shoulder, Vernon had the freedom to explore and learn through experience. He often climbed oak trees and cruised around town with friends—reflecting on that time as one of independence and curiosity.

Though he didn’t care much for formal schooling, Vernon became an avid reader. He quickly realized that if he wanted to understand something, he could pick up a book and learn it on his own—usually faster than sitting through a classroom lesson. Later in life, he returned to school with a focus on maritime studies, attending Laney College in Oakland, California, and also spending time at the University of South Carolina, though he did not pursue a formal degree.

Military Service

Just two weeks after turning 17, Vernon enlisted in the U.S. Army and joined the 82nd Airborne Division as a paratrooper. He began his military journey with Basic Training, where he was soon selected for Leadership School. There, he endured nearly two weeks with almost no sleep, absorbing eight weeks’ worth of Advanced Individual Training (AIT) content in half the time—all while keeping up with rigorous spit-shine inspections and late-night floor waxing.

Following Leadership School, Vernon advanced to Jump School, a physically demanding phase of his training. He and two others became known as the “pets” of their TAC sergeant, Sgt. Burns, who relentlessly pushed them with the intent to break their spirit. Despite the intense physical strain and near-constant pressure, Vernon completed Jump School and earned his blood wings. During one drill, Sgt. Burns abruptly halted the group and stopped in front of Vernon. He looked him in the eye and asked loudly, “How about you, Adkison?” Without hesitation, Vernon responded, “No thank you, Sergeant!” The brief exchange, though intense, stood out as a small reprieve in an otherwise demanding chapter of his training.

In November 1963, during this same period at Fort Benning, Vernon stood in formation with hundreds of others when news arrived that President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated. The announcement had a profound emotional impact across the company—soldiers and superiors alike. Vernon later reflected on that day as a formative moment, one that influenced his perspective on leadership and the evolving relationship between citizens and their government.

After earning his blood wings, Vernon was stationed at Fort Bragg, where he served with the 82nd Airborne Division. Over the next few years, he took on various assignments both stateside and abroad—including a deployment to the Dominican Republic, where he again crossed paths with Sgt. Burns, now a Master Sergeant. He later saw Burns once more at Fort Bragg when both men had been temporarily demoted to Private E-1. On a bitterly cold night while guarding adjacent motor pools, they shared warmth from a truck exhaust and exchanged a rare moment of camaraderie—one of the few times Vernon spoke to Burns as an equal.

Despite sustaining a knee injury that made running and parachute landing difficult, Vernon completed his full three-year service and was honorably discharged on June 17, 1966—two weeks after his 20th birthday. The experience, marked by both mental and physical extremes, left a lasting impression. He often credited the Army—and Sgt. Burns in particular—with shaping the mental toughness and no-excuses mindset that defined the rest of his life.

Maritime Career and Transition to Gold Mining

After completing his military service, Vernon began the next chapter of his life on the seas. In September 1966, fresh out of the Army, he joined the U.S. Merchant Marine as an Ordinary Seaman through the Seafarer’s International Union in New Orleans. His first assignment was aboard the SS Wild Ranger, an old Waterman Lines freighter bound for the Far East. The voyage included ports of call in Japan, Vietnam—where he earned 30 days of double pay for time spent in the combat zone—and Korea, where he humorously recalled he “should’ve gotten combat pay” for his week at Whiskey Mary’s. That voyage sparked a lifelong love affair with the ocean.

Vernon’s maritime career spanned over five decades. He rose through every rank in the Deck Department—ultimately achieving the position of Unlimited Master. He piloted and captained an array of vessels, from tugs and freighters to ULCC-class supertankers and some of the largest cruise ships afloat. He ended his deep-sea phase as the captain of a 900-ft. VLCC-class vessel and later transitioned into a shore-based role as a State Marine Pilot in Southcentral Alaska.

He retired from piloting ships in May 2021, marking the close of a 55-year journey on the water. During this time, he also accumulated a trove of overtime sheets from every voyage—detailed records that helped him trace back memories and timelines, including his very first ship in 1966.

In the early 2010s, Vernon began a new chapter in his professional life by taking on offshore gold mining in Nome, Alaska. When not piloting ships, he dedicates his time to offshore mining operations aboard the Wild Ranger. His approach is grounded in one belief: “he who builds the best machine will win.” Vernon finds particular satisfaction in designing and assembling mining equipment that functions to exact specifications.

Personal Life: Marriage, Wife & Children

Vernon Adkison married Mary Brocato in 1981. Their wedding took place in Texas. Not much is publicly known about Mary beyond her role as Vernon’s first wife.

Following their divorce, Vernon married Elisia D. Barlow in early 1989. Together, they had two daughters: Elaine, born in August 1990, and Yvonne, born in August 1992. This marriage later ended as well. Elisia, originally from Texas, now resides in Homer, Alaska, where she goes by Elisia Thompson, taking the surname of her current husband.

In 2001, Vernon was piloting the Asuka, a six-star Japanese cruise ship, through Southcentral Alaska when he met Arlene, a stewardess working onboard. The moment he saw her, Vernon sensed a connection. During a stop in Anchorage, when his pilot partner Ron came aboard to meet him, Vernon introduced Arlene as his future wife. While the remark caught everyone by surprise—including Arlene—it marked the beginning of their relationship.

Over the next two years, Vernon pursued a long-distance courtship that included several visits to Hawaii and the Philippines, navigating logistical and immigration hurdles along the way. Eventually, Arlene agreed to move to Alaska, and the couple married on September 26, 2003.

Now based in Homer, Alaska, Vernon and Arlene continue to share their life together, shaped by their maritime backgrounds and lasting connection. Their birthdays are just days apart—Vernon’s on June 4 and Arlene’s on June 6—and they often reflect on the unlikely but enduring journey that brought them together.

Vernon Adkison daughters

Both of Vernon Adkison’s daughters—Elaine and Yvonne—have spent time working alongside their father in the family’s gold mining operation, and both have appeared on “Bering Sea Gold.”

Elaine Adkison, the elder of the two, has played an active role aboard the Wild Ranger. Working as a deckhand, she made her on-screen debut in 2012 and appeared in 27 episodes through 2020. Over the years, she has helped run the vessel with her father, gaining hands-on experience in one of the world’s most dangerous forms of mining.

Yvonne Adkison also joined the crew as a dive tender. However, she eventually stepped away from mining and has since taken a different path. Yvonne was previously involved in a drug-related incident that resulted in a two-year incarceration. After serving her sentence, she redirected her focus and entered the beauty industry. According to her public social media, she is now the owner and founder of Beyond the Mirror Salon and a master stylist at Hair By Yvonne. Yvonne currently resides in Chandler, Arizona, where she runs her business and maintains an active presence in her new profession.

In March 2025, she shared a moment from a road trip with her father, recalling how they drove up the Pacific Coast Highway from Los Angeles to Northern California. Along the way, Vernon revisited places he had lived in the 1960s. It was a lighthearted journey filled with stories from the past—one that gave a glimpse into a different side of Vernon’s earlier life, including a time when he considered himself a bit of a hippie.

Health, Lifestyle, and Personal Discipline

Outside of his professional life, Vernon Adkison has been open about his personal journey with health and discipline. In a candid account in January 2020, he reflected on his long-running battle with weight fluctuations—something he attributes largely to an unpredictable work schedule as a marine pilot. He often found himself called out to ships in the middle of the night, which disrupted his sleep and led to fatigue-induced eating habits, especially high-carb foods.

Vernon first experimented with low-carb eating in the late 1970s while living in Hawaii, inspired by the Dr. Atkins Diet. Initially motivated by the desire to fit into his tailored jeans, he soon found the diet effective for energy and clarity. Though he followed it off and on over the years, in recent times he found it harder to maintain.

Faced with a physical exam and feeling worn down, Vernon decided to take time off work and commit to a structured routine. He cut out carbohydrates entirely, adopted an intermittent fasting schedule, and began light physical activity. Within a month, he lost 20 pounds, reported increased stamina, and experienced a dramatic reduction in knee and joint pain. His sleep quality improved, and he no longer had to wake frequently during the night. He also noticed an unexpected improvement in his hearing, which had been impaired due to earlier ear infections.

In 2021, Vernon underwent knee replacement surgery. The operation was successful, and he later shared how it gave him full range of motion without pain—a notable improvement after years of wear from piloting and mining work. By 2023, he described feeling far better overall and credited both his surgery and his low-carb lifestyle for that progress.

Now fully retired from piloting since May 2022, Vernon remains focused on gold mining. In mid-2023, Vernon was preparing the GoldShip for another season in Nome. He and his crew had added specialized equipment, including a custom-built Keene Super Sluice-box and a Nitrox machine, with the goal of enabling deeper and longer dives for improved gold recovery.

Life On Screen: Vernon Adkison’s Television Journey

When “Bering Sea Gold” launched in 2012, Vernon Adkison was among the original faces viewers got to know. While he brought decades of maritime experience, diving into the icy, unpredictable waters off Nome, Alaska, was an entirely different challenge—and one that cameras would follow closely. Since then, Vernon has remained a familiar figure on the show, commanding the Wild Ranger as both captain and owner of Wild Ranger Gold Co.

Over the years, he has appeared in more than 140 episodes of the main series, which continues to air on Discovery Channel, including through its 2024 season. The show highlights not only the high-stakes nature of gold dredging but also the personalities who bring grit, risk, and resilience to the seafloor—Vernon chief among them.

In addition to the main series, Vernon was featured in several spinoffs:

• “Bering Sea Gold: Under the Ice” (2013–2014), where he appeared in 13 episodes,
• “Bering Sea Gold: After the Dredge” (2012),
• and “Gold Rush: The Dirt” (2020), in a single guest appearance.

Through it all, Vernon has built a presence that goes beyond the dredge deck—someone seasoned, steady, and still pursuing the next big payoff in the Bering Sea. He’s shared screen time with other well-known captains, including Emily Riedel, Zeke Tenhoff, Cody Moen, Steve, and Shawn Pomrenke, contributing to the series’ enduring popularity and its behind-the-scenes look at life on the edge of the ice.

Net Worth

Vernon Adkison has built a solid financial foundation over the years, primarily through his decades-long work in the maritime industry and his ongoing involvement in gold mining. His role as captain and owner of the Wild Ranger has positioned him at the center of the Bering Sea Gold operation, where he continues to pursue lucrative dredging seasons.

In addition to his mining efforts, Vernon has earned income from his appearances on Discovery Channel’s long-running series “Bering Sea Gold” and its spinoffs. With over 140 episodes to his name, his presence on television has added to his visibility and earnings.

As of 2025, Vernon Adkison’s estimated net worth is reported to be over USD $2.5 million.

Wiki/Bio Facts

Full name	Vernon Adkison.
Age	79 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 (m. 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	Facebook