By Kimberly Sherman

“This series presents information based in part on theory and conjecture. The producer’s purpose is to suggest some possible explanations, but not necessarily the only ones, to the mysteries we will examine.”

These opening credits from “In Search Of,” hosted by Leonard Nimoy from 1976 to 1982, were drummed into the head of Rex Williams each week, during his pliable tween years. “They did an episode on the Loch Ness Monster possibly being related to the plesiosaur,” recalls Williams. “That got me into it. That creatures like this could still be around piqued my interest in the whole cryptid zoology field.”

Now, some thirty years later, William’s dreams haven’t just come true. They’ve voraciously exploded.

An EMT since 1994, Williams became a paramedic in 1997 and has worked for LifeStar Ambulance in Tulare for five years. As a side job, he traversed the Hollywood scene and landed gigs as a set medic for HGTV and FOX Reality.

When his agent called with the possibility of securing a job on a show that involved traveling all over the world, Williams thought, ‘Gosh, could this be for a show I watch?’ “I was driving when he told me it was for ‘Destination Truth,’ and I almost drove off the road.”

After four treks within a week to Los Angeles for a series of interviews while sick with the flu, and an expedited rush placed on securing a passport, Williams received a voicemail from show host Josh Gates. When he returned the call, Gates said simply, “Are you ready to take a trip?”

From the “Destination Truth” website:

Led by intrepid world-adventurer Josh Gates, each episode of ‘Destination Truth’ takes viewers on a trek across the globe as Josh investigates stories of the unexplained. Accompanied by his small crew, Josh dives into the local cultures and searches for clues to the existence of strange creatures and paranormal phenomena.

In the current season, Josh will travel to some of the most extreme locations on Earth, including the isolated Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan and the heart of the world’s worst nuclear accident at Chernobyl. Viewers will also ride along on unprecedented investigations, including the world’s first overnight exploration of King Tut’s cursed tomb and pitch-black dives in ancient Caribbean caves.

Jackpot.

Though a paramedic background served as a placeholder for William’s stint on the crew, he wears more hats than most of the members. He serves primarily as one of the investigators, sweeps sites and sets up night vision cameras and electromagnetic field detectors. As field producer, he is expected to take notes and find people to interview.

But eating fried tarantulas in Egypt and coming face to face with alligators on the bayou requires a keen eye and advanced medical training, training plunked smack on the shoulders of the crew’s medic.

“We’re put in a lot of situations that we wouldn’t normally see. With exotic places and exotic creatures, there are a lot of dangers to be conscious of—poisonous spiders, scorpions, malaria, parasites, water moccasins, and alligators, among a few,” laughs Williams. “I have to do extra research based on the countries we’re going to, which is above and beyond what we’d normally see on a daily basis. I have a lot of responsibility on my end.”

With no backup for assistance and crucial medical help often days away, Williams is the sole medic upon which the crew relies for health concerns, unless the situation is absolutely dire. “Worst case scenario is that someone needs to be extracted by helicopter or boat and transported to the hospital,” says Williams. “Josh wears a $10,000 Breitling watch with an emergency beacon. He pulls the pin and they send in the troops.”

Williams can rattle off his previous destinations, each with a level of fondness. Though spending the night in King Tut’s tomb among the torrid mysticism and historically rich country of Egypt was one of his life thrills, the isolation and beauty of Bhutan captured his heart.

“It’s such a beautiful country. On the plane ride we could see Mount Everest. It’s a Buddhist country, so the people were all very welcoming. We investigated the Yeti, and found some strange things,” says Williams. “We did uncover some amazing evidence. We discovered footprints and had them cast, sent off and analyzed. No one can attribute them to any known animal.”

A self-described open-minded skeptic, Williams has also searched for the skunk ape in Florida, the Thunderbird in Alaska, the Luska (giant octopus) and the Bermuda Triangle in the Bahamas, the Alux (small forest gnomes) in the Yucatan, ghosts at Chernobyl, and the Chullacaqui (legendary devil) in the Amazonian jungles of Peru.

The Island of the Dolls in Mexico was a particularly haunting destination, and high up in the Andes Mountains of Peru, the “Destination Truth” crew discovered the Lost City, supposedly deemed haunted. “People have known about it, but no one’s ever done any excavation,” muses Williams. “There could be bodies there, along with crypts and even treasure.”

Williams will, again, join the crew of “Destination Truth” for season four, filming from October through December. Though he can’t disclose specific locations, South America, parts of Europe, Asia, and back home in the U.S. are on the itinerary shortlist.

With a laptop computer serving as his sole tie to family and the comforts of home in Visalia, sans fried tarantula, Williams will return to his wife and 10-year-old daughter with his fair share of stories and exotic keepsakes from each of his stops around the globe.

Williams is a prized member of the team due to his background and ability to take a clinical approach to the series. “I can add the scientific reasons, put in my two cents, and help to debunk anything,” he says. But, after having traveled the world seeking the thrill of the chase, he is often outspoken about his feeling on the validity of the paranormal, as his unrestrained voice suggests. “I do believe there’s the possibility that ghosts can exist.”

No comments