Lifeguard and marine biologist Megan is tricked into rescuing a fisherman who appears to have fallen off a rock jetty. When she finds out that she has been set up, it's too late. He pulls a knife and tries to rape her. Megan hits him in the crutch and manages to get away by swimming away from the beach. When Mitch arrives, the fisherman leaves. Megan just tells Mitch that she took an extra long work out.
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.