An old couple named Lloyd and Ellie are having a blast at the beach, and they are documenting everything on a tape. Lloyd is using a big floatation device in the water, so Jill is forced to tell him to bring it to shore. In the meantime, a man named Fred spots a man in the water that is drowning. He notifies Jill who heads out to rescue him. But the victim is nowhere to be seen, until he suddenly floats up to the surface and Jill can bring him to shore. He is already dead when she gets to him.
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.