The days starts out beautifully, with Sean surfing with his good friend Mike, a seventeen year old who hopes to turn pro one day. Sean goes into shore to open the tower. When he looks out at the ocean again, Mike has disappeared. After a frantic search, Mike is found with his head lodged in a coral reef. Despite the best efforts of the team, Mike dies. His father, Peter, has known Sean for years and blames him for the passing of his son. Sean blows up: he can't hang on to all the guilt and is tired of trying to orchestrate things like the Ocean Fest. He storms off. This gives Jenna a chance to take over the plans for the Ocean Fest. This is somewhat good news for Zack, who was going to be a bench warmer for most of the Fest owing to his position as a newbie. Jenna, however, keeps him an alternate. Carrie tries to warn Zack that he is not behaving very well politically, but he's too consumed with his own frustrations to hear her.
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.