Were you as surprised to see Gold Rush star Rick Ness's foreman fall asleep on duty as I was?

In episode 18 of Gold Rush season 15, titled Another Man's Treasure (aired March 14, 2025), Rick Ness faced a tough situation after catching his foreman, Buzz Legault, sleeping inside an excavator during work. Buzz had been helping Rick’s team reach their season goal at Vegas Valley.

However, feeling demotivated, he decided to take a nap in the middle of the site, while the rest of his team members continued their work. When Rick caught him sleeping, he confronted him about his actions and asked him to step up or leave the job. It led to a heated confrontation between the two, as Buzz mentioned he was dissatisfied with the odd jobs he was being asked to complete.

Rick clarified that he was only assigned tasks he could do, reminding the foreman that he was a key member of the team, from whom he had not expected such casual behavior.

I was shocked to see Gold Rush star Buzz sleeping on duty, as I am certain it was arguably one of the most unprofessional and potentially dangerous things to do while sitting inside an excavator. His actions were not only unprofessional but also unfair to the other team members who worked despite feeling tired and worn out.

Buzz, as a senior member of the team, should have honored Rick's request when asked to help the team mine the remaining 60 feet of the Vegas Valley. Instead, he complained about the task — hauling 90 loads of waste every day and leveling a rocky road, saying he was unhappy with the role assigned to him.

According to me, Buzz dishonored his boss's request and presented himself as a bad example to his colleagues. Moreover, it was unjust that he could take a nap during work, whereas the other team members had to continue working despite feeling exhausted.

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Gold Rush star Buzz Legault deserved to be punished for his callous behavior

Rick Ness, earlier in the season, hit a jackpot after mining 900 ounces of gold at the Rally Valley pit. The Gold Rush star aimed to achieve a similar success in the Vegas Valley. However, the terrain proved difficult to maneuver. Even after working at full capacity, Rick and his team had a long way to go before hitting their season target.

At that point, Rick realized he needed another person to join the team and contribute to the on-field job for a better turnover. He immediately turned to Buzz, requesting him to get on the fourth truck and haul waste along the rocky roads. However, Buzz was not too pleased with the task.

"Oh, I hate, I hate the rock truck! Stupid rock truck," he said.

His demeanor proves the Gold Rush star was unbothered about team spirit and only cared about his comfort. In a situation where the entire crew needed to come together, Buzz was concerned with his own difficulties instead of worrying about the collective goal.

Since the crew was small, every member on the team had to put in extra effort to execute the job. Although it was challenging, they agreed to test their limits and compromise on their comfort for the team's benefit. However, that was not how Buzz approached the situation.

Other team members like Heather, who admitted that the task was physically exhausting, continued going to and fro the rocky road, without taking a break, and so did the others.

Later, when Rick asked Buzz to get on the excavator to level the road, the latter felt demoted, saying,

"Last season, Rick gave me the position as foreman on this site, and someway, somehow this season, he forgot all about it."

Frustrated with the treatment meted out to him, Buzz decided to take a nap and fell asleep inside the excavator. In my opinion, it was extremely unprofessional of Buzz to fall asleep in the middle of the valley. Moreover, it showcased how self-centered the Gold Rush cast member was, as he only cared about how he felt.

He had no appreciation for his equally tired teammates, who were consistently laboring throughout the day. I think Buzz's behavior not only portrayed Rick in a bad light, as a boss who could not control his employees, but also undermined the efforts of everyone else.

Despite Rick's warning call, Buzz remained unbothered.

"I'm just at the point of... I'm freaking done caring. I'll just do what I'm doing and freaking walk away at the end of the season. Buzz out."

The Gold Rush star's entitled attitude, claiming he deserved better than being in a rock truck, was more displeasing to watch. He thought he had every right to take a nap, even if it sent a wrong message to his colleagues and hurt the overall spirit of the crew.

Although Rick and Buzz resolved the issue at the end of the day, I strongly believe the latter should have been punished for disrespecting his peers by doing the bare minimum and falling asleep on duty.

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Gold Rush episodes are available to stream on Discovery+.