Mitch, Craig and Garner take a weekend hang-gliding trip. While hang-gliding, Mitch has a terrible accident and crash-lands in some trees. When he falls down from the tree, he breaks his leg. Even more bad luck is to come. Mitch also gets bitten by a rattlesnake and falls down into a rock quarry. After a couple of minutes, Craig goes searching for him and finds him unconscious in the quarry. When Garner is about to get help, the jeep won't start. Then he is forced to use the hang-glider. He can't control it and crash-lands right next to Shauni's tower.
This long-running series follows the adventures of a team of lifeguards on the crowded beaches of Los Angeles County. Veteran lifeguard Mitch Buchannon watches over the younger lifeguards that come and go with each passing season as they keep the beaches safe for vacationers. Frequently he must take action to save them from the raging seas and from the raging tempers that sometimes flare up between the young guards in this stressful job.