Mitch tells Newman that he has had a confrontation with a gang. Boasting, he says he stared them down, and they won’t come back. As they approach the tower, it explodes into a million pieces – a warning from the gang. Later, Jesse and Alex walk by a group of convicts working on a chain gang. The women keep walking, but Jesse can’t help but do a double take at one of the prisoners named Deke.
April is on watch in her tower when she sees two tourists, Vic and Sherri, arrive at the beach. Sherri sets up an easel while Vic goes into the water. April warns him that the swells are getting bad, but Vic insists that he’s a good swimmer. April’s words of warning quickly become prophetic as Vic is swept under by the growing waves. April dives into the water and tries to pull Vic in to the shore, but a wave crests over them. When she resurfaces, Vic is nowhere to be seen. Other emergency vehicles arrive on the scene. April wants to help, but Mitch won’t let her. Sherri becomes hysterical, expecting the worst. Back at headquarters, April hides in the shower and sobs.
Back at the beach, Mitch is keeping up the search, but as it grows dark, he calls off the activities until the next day. Mitch takes an exhausted and distraught Sherri back to the hotel. Sherri has gone into denial about what happened to her husband, and when they get to her room, she is disappointed to discover that Vic has not returned. Sherri reveals that tonight, she was going to tell Vic she’s pregnant. Mitch spends a good part of the night sitting in a chair, staying to comfort her. The next morning, Mitch and the lifeguards continue the search. But Alex begins to be a little uneasy with the way Mitch is showering Sherri with attention.
The chain gang continues to work. Deke’s partner Garcia fakes a stomachache, and when the guard comes to check, Deke clobbers him. He and Garcia make their escape by diving into the water. Later, when Jesse arrives at the lifeguard tower, she sees the lock is broken. Inside, Deke is waiting for her. It is obvious they know each other. Deke lets Jesse know he hasn’t stopped thinking about her. He is off to Mexico, and he wants her to join him. She remembers her former, bad-girl days with him. She is torn, but tells him she will meet him on the rocks in the morning.
Mitch gets an underwater rescue unit to continue the search, but now that three days have passed, everyone knows it is hopeless. Alex confronts Mitch and tells him that the way he is “helping” Sherri is actually preventing her from accepting what has happened. Just then, they get word that a man has been found, clinging to a buoy. Even though it is only a slim chance, they rush out, only to find Garcia clinging desperately to the buoy.
Back at headquarters, the news comes in that Vic’s body has been recovered. Sherri finally breaks down and confronts April, hitting her and blaming her for Vic’s death. Mitch intervenes and comforts the women. Now that she is able to grieve, Sherri begins to put her life back together. Later, she is able to finish the painting of the jetty she started just a short time ago. She gives it to Mitch as thanks for his help and concern.
Jesse meets Deke on her wave-runner as planned, and they take off for Mexico. As they round the bend, Deke spots a Coast Guard vessel. He yells at Jesse to turn around, but she refuses. Suddenly, he realizes she has turned him in! He throws her off the wave-runner and heads for shore. Arriving between cliffs, he jumps from the wave-runner and starts climbing, but he soon tires. Jesse catches up to him and tries to talk him down, but he is too exhausted. A helicopter armed with a “swimmer” appears overhead and brings them both to safety.
Once the excitement dies down, Jesse knows that she must confess her past to Mitch and Alex. But when she does, they alleviate her fears by telling her they already knew about her past. But what’s really important is the future and staying on as a Baywatch lifeguard.
Guest Star List:
Sheryl Ingrid Walters
Sherri Maya McLaughlin
Deke Scott Gurney
Vic Darren Gray Ward
Garcia Ben Bray
