Gold panner finds 559-gram gold nugget in Tuolumne Co.

TUOLUMNE CO., Calif. (KGO) -- A man who turned gold panning into a profession hit pay dirt in Tuolumne County last week.

An online video shows a man by the name of Mr. Espinoza showing off the gold nugget he found in the central California foothills

At 559 grams, the nugget is worth an estimated $2,000.

"When I grabbed it, my hand kind of slipped off of it. That's when I realized it was a lot bigger than a little nugget," he said.

Espinoza says unemployment has led him to turn gold panning from a hobby into a full-time gig.

He says his latest discovery will help cover bills in the next few weeks.