There's a legend
of a man who lives beneath the sea.
He is a fisher of men,
the last hope of all those
who have been left behind.
Many survivors claim to have felt
his gripping hands beneath them,
pushing them up to the surface,
whispering strength
until help could arrive.
But this, of course, is only a legend.
Help!
Over here!
Sherilyn!
Help!
Ma'am, I'm a Coast Guard
rescue swimmer.
I'm here to help you.
Sir, stay with your flotation.
I'll be back for you.
- Don't leave me!
- Just stay there.
Don't you leave me!
Basket is outside
the cabin door and going down.
Roger. Copy you.
Forward and right 30.
Forward and right 15.
Right 15.
Ho, ho, ho!
Basket is in the water.
Swimmer and survivor
are at the basket.
Put your head in first.
I gotta get out!
Easy, forward.
Let go! Let go.
Let go. You're drowning her!
Swimmer just popped him in the face.
Okay, he's putting the man
in the basket.
The man is in the basket.
We're taking the load.
Whoa, big wave.
Get out! Get out!
What's wrong with you?
Sit there and shut up.
Swimmer in sight.
Prepare to take the load.
I have the ready-for-pickup signal.
Swimmer is approaching cabin door.
Survivor looks unconscious.
Swimmer inside the cabin door.
Cabin door closing.
I think you just broke my nose.
And you may have killed your wife, sir.
Twenty minutes to Kodiak.
Roger.
He's giving her CPR.
Comstate Kodiak,
this is Coast Guard 6096.
We have
two hypothermic survivors onboard.
We'll be there in 20 minutes.
Requesting to have an ambulance
on-scene when we land.
Whoa, there we go.
- Got her?
- Got her!
Attaway, baby.
There's dead,
then there's dead.
I swear,
you get better with age.
- Had to hit him, huh?
- Yeah.
You are not. You stay over there!
You stay over there!
Seems like it's always the big ones
that crack.
Lieutenant.
Crew said that she went under.
They thought you'd lost her.
Lucky guess.
Luck, my ass.
- I didn't think you were serious.
- Of course you didn't, Ben.
How could you possibly think
I was serious?
I'm not some nameless
drowning victim.
Oh, gee, I'm sorry saving lives
doesn't jive with our social...
That's...
That's my chair.
Oh, he's right. Not that chair.
I'm sorry. I was just pointing things out
in the living room. He didn't know.
I would never take your chair.
Pick it up, would...
Doesn't have to be messy, Ben.
It's clean, simple for both of us.
We don't have kids.
Well, what about Friday?
What about Friday?
We were gonna go
with Carl and Bridget, you know,
to that dinner-dance thing at the base.
The base? All-you-can-eat wings?
A dart game to settle the tab?
That's the date that we can't break?
- You're right. You're right.
- Wow.
Look, we'll... We'll go away, all right?
Just us.
It's too late, Ben.
I don't know what I can say to you
that I haven't said already.
It's time for me to rescue myself.
Maybe... Maybe I should be the one
to move out.
Hi, you've reached Helen.
And Ben.
Leave a message.
You don't even know where anything is
in this house.
It's much easier this way.
Senior Chief, please report to base.
I can... I can fix this, all right? I...
I can...
I can fix this.
Just tell me what to do.
Tell me what to do.
- Just let me go.
- No.
- Just let me go.
- No.
You should answer that.
Ready rescue helo 6096.
Swimmer One, return to base.
- I don't wanna lose her.
- Then change.
Ben, how many times
have we had this conversation?
The only way for you to save it
is to give this up and fly a desk.
Exactly. She just wants to live.
Hey, maybe we can get a hobby.
Both of us.
Something like fishing.
- Fishing?
- Yeah.
Guys like us don't fish, Carl.
It'll work out. Always does.
Let me ask you something, seriously.
Is it too soon for me to ask her out?
I guess so.
Mayday! Mayday!
Mayday!
This is cargo vessel Seaqueen.
We're at 55 degrees,
167 degrees, 10 minutes west.
We're taking on water.
We're abandoning ship.
I repeat, abandoning ship.
Son, look at me. Look at me.
You're gonna be okay. Got that?
Got that? We're gonna be okay.
Okay.
We have
a tail rotor de-ice caution light.
- Any secondaries?
- No.
Circuit breakers are in,
so it definitely has failed,
but we're not building up any ice.
- How's the fuel?
- Forty minutes to bingo.
- All right, take the stick.
- Okay, I have the controls.
All right, huddle time, boys.
We have a de-ice fail.
We're low on fuel.
The rulebook says we cut our losses.
What do you think, Ben?
Well, we go home, they die, Bill.
Ops Cent Kodiak, Ops Cent
Kodiak, this is Coast Guard 6096.
We have
a tail rotor de-ice caution light,
but we are pressing on.
- 6096...
- Get the maintenance chief on the line.
I wanna know
what he thinks about this.
Computer's saying
the winds are 60 to 85 knots.
I'm turning your bear alt off.
- You're on your own with altitude hold.
- Roger.
Lower! Lower!
Right side. Debris in water.
- Request to open cabin door.
- Roger. Open door.
Kodiak Ops,
We have heavy debris in the water.
Commencing cover search.
Mark and note position.
I'm going in.
They're dead, Ben. Ben, they're dead!
We don't know that.
There's six PIWs all tied together.
No signs of life.
I think we may be too late.
Not our call. They're on-scene.
They'll make the assessment.
Requesting to get wet, sir.
I ain't sending you fishing for bodies,
not in this.
Well, how about fathers and sons?
Flare! Flare! We got a live one here.
We got a live one!
You got five minutes,
then we're hauling your ass back up.
Kodiak Ops,
this is Coast Guard 6096.
We have people in the water,
and we are deploying our swimmer.
One's holding the flare.
I see no other movement.
Roger that.
Swimmer's ready to deploy.
- Check swimmer.
- Roger. Checking swimmer.
Swimmer's dressed out.
Checklist is complete.
Five minutes.
Swimmer's away.
Swimmer's okay.
- Clear to move back and left 30.
- Clear back and left.
How we looking
on fuel there?
Two minutes to bingo.
I'm a Coast Guard rescue swimmer
here to help you, son.
You're gonna be okay.
I'm gonna get you in that helicopter.
- I have the ready-for-pickup signal.
- Roger.
Basket is going out the cabin door.
Bingo. We're at bingo. Gotta go.
Ease it back.
- Basket is in the water!
- We're out of time. We gotta go, Carl.
Hold position. Steady. Hold.
He's putting the survivor in the basket.
Your rad alt's going crazy.
Yeah, yeah, I know.
I'm all over the place.
Come on, Carl, we gotta go now!
I don't have
a ready-for-pickup signal yet.
Whoa! Carl! Behind you!
Holy shit!
We lost our tail rotor!
Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!
Coast Guard 6096 is going down!
Mayday! Mayday! 6096 is going in.
Carl. I'm here.
Carl.
Hold on, Carl. Hold on.
They'll be coming for us.
I got you. You're okay now.
You're okay. I'm here, Carl.
We're okay. Hang on. I got you.
- You think they're coming?
- Oh, yeah, they're coming.
I want a C-130
over that crash site now.
Lieutenant Krauss,
start the mishap checklist.
Aye, Captain.
Captain, I've got an EPIRB hit
on Randall's survivor suit.
Launch ready helos. Swimmer provide.
We have a C-130 coming off a case
off Attu. It's already low on fuel.
I don't care. Have them cut an engine.
I want him to know
he's not alone out there.
Listen. Listen.
You hear that?
Hold on, Carl.
Here we go, Carl. I got you.
What's the ETA on the backup helo?
Helo's en route to Cold Bay.
They should be on-scene,
three, maybe four hours.
Make it three.
Jesus. How much more of that stuff
do you think I got in me?
Feel that?
- You feel that?
- Yeah.
That means you're alive.
I'm not gonna let go.
- Don't you!
- I'm not gonna. I'm not gonna.
serious fractures,
like in the C-spine,
which could cause paralysis.
Mostly what we see is old fractures
in the arms, also in the leg,
but nothing acute.
Nothing new with this injury, luckily.
We just hope the kidneys kick in
and start to help him
resolve a lot of that fluid.
Thank you very much.
We've been friends a long time,
haven't we?
I've always been good to you,
haven't I?
Didn't promote you to a desk when
you turned 40 like everybody else.
That's right.
All right,
so now I need you to listen to me.
Okay.
There's an instructor opening
at "A" School, that...
No. The answer is no.
You just said you'd listen. Sit down.
I'm not interested, Captain.
Well, it's no longer a request,
Senior Chief. Sit down.
You're serious?
You have two choices.
Sign the papers today and you can
live life as a civilian here in Kodiak,
if that's what you want.
Or you can take that "A" School
opening I'm offering you.
I've already spoken to command
down there.
It will be your class.
You will be in charge.
You can take the time
to work your way back into shape.
I am in shape.
God damn it,
that's not what I'm talking about.
Ben, all I'm asking is that
you go down there for a few months.
You work with the kids, you recharge.
Download that epic rsum
where it's gonna do some good.
You can't always be
the one in the water, Ben.
You'll know
when you're ready to come back.
You people got 15 seconds
to get off this bus.
Move! Move! Let's go! Get off the bus!
Hurry up.
Let's go, let's go.
Put your white books
in your red bags.
Let's get that squared away now.
Put those books away.
Females,
grab your bags, fall out to the rear.
Follow Chief Flight
and Petty Officer Hall.
The rest of you, pick a bunk,
put on your ODUs.
You started with 15 minutes,
you are now down to 12.
Move! Move, move, move!
Move it out. Get changed
out of those working blues.
Hurry up. Move it out.
Find your rack. Quit wasting my time.
Hey. Hey! That's my stuff, man.
Hey, that's his bunk.
You two a couple?
It's okay. I like the top better anyway.
Out of the 39,000
men and women
who make up
the United States Coast Guard,
there are only 280 rescue swimmers.
Let's go! Let's go, mermaids!
This is because
we are the Coast Guard's elite.
We are the best of the best.
When storms shut down entire ports,
we go out.
When hurricanes ground
the United States Navy, we go out.
And when the holy Lord himself
reaches down from heaven
and destroys his good work with winds
that rip houses off the ground,
we go out.
And the attrition rate at this school
is well over 50%.
So if by some miracle you actually
have what it takes to become one of us,
then you get to live a life of meager pay
with the distinct possibility
of dying slow, cold and alone
somewhere in the vast sea.
However, you also get the chance
to save lives,
and there is no greater calling
in the world than that.
So, ladies and gentlemen, welcome.
Welcome to "A" School.
Are there any questions?
Captain, Airman Fischer.
Just have one question.
That guy who holds all them records,
is he still alive?
Why do you ask?
I just thought you ought to let him know
I'm about to knock his name
off that board.
Really?
Why don't you let him know yourself?
He's standing right behind you
in the back of the room.
Class, turn around
and greet Senior Chief Ben Randall.
Senior Chief Randall will be your
lead instructor for the next 18 weeks.
Senior Chief Randall is one of
the most decorated rescue swimmers
in the history
of the United States Coast Guard.
Ben, would you care
to address the class?
No, I think there's been enough talk
for one day.
Chief Skinner, they're all yours.
Attention on deck.
- Carry on.
- Aye, Captain.
PT test begins at 0700 tomorrow.
Class dismissed.
You will file through the front door.
First row first, followed by the second.
Frank.
"When God rips houses
off the ground"?
I was rolling.
And I didn't mean
to put you on the spot up there.
And I was real sorry
to hear about your crew.
Come on. I'll show you around.
- So I hear you're staying in a single?
- Yeah.
Helen's got some family business
she's gotta take care of up there.
Mayday, mayday, mayday!
This is Ballmariner! Ballmariner!
We are on fire! We are on fire!
Go!
- Let's go, let's go, let's go!
- Let's go, logs.
Let's move it out! Let's move it out!
Work as a team! Work as a team!
- Two lines.
- Two lines.
- Two lines.
- Two lines.
Do you understand me?
Yes, Petty Officer Hall.
Very well, let's try it. Lean and rest!
Pop tall.
Oorah!
- What the hell was that?
- That was terrible.
That was the worst
I've ever seen.
That was terrible.
Let's try that again.
Twenty-two.
Come on!
- Up!
- Twenty-three.
Down. Up.
- Twenty-four.
- Get that ass down, Cable!
- Up!
- Twenty-five.
That is absolutely horrible.
Pop tall to the lone pine and back! Go!
Move your ass!
Let's move it! Get it going!
Let's go.
Let's go.
Bring them back.
- Circle back!
- Let's go! Get back here!
- Get back in line!
- Let's move!
- Back in formation.
- Let's move, move, move!
Back in formation.
Lean and rest. Senior Chief on deck.
Pop tall.
Oorah!
I don't care who you are,
where you are from
or where you are going.
I care about one thing
and one thing only.
That is the future victims
that you will be asked to save.
If I feel that you will fail them,
I will fail you, understood?
Yes, Senior Chief!
Hodge. Where are you from, Hodge?
I'm from Teaneck, New Jersey,
Senior Chief!
Hodge is our triple repeat.
Do you plan on making it this time,
threepeat?
I really hope to, Senior Chief.
Yeah, well, hope don't float, Hodge.
You better start to learn to swim
against the current and not with it.
Aye, aye, Senior Chief.
Fisch.
Fisch. Why are you here, Fisch?
I'm here to exceed your expectations,
Senior Chief.
I'm a rescue swimmer at heart,
born, bred and water-fed. Oorah!
Wow. I bet you practiced that
all morning.
Mr. Fischer is
our high school swim champ.
He's had scholarships
to every lvy League.
Oh, I'm sorry.
I didn't realize that he was so qualified.
I mean, you set records in a pool?
That's amazing.
I'll bet it was like, what,
eight feet deep in the deep end?
What if your nose plug didn't work?
What if another swimmer
had cut into your lane?
For the love of God,
you could have been killed.
Your schedule says that you will
perform a PT test this morning.
That will not be necessary.
Water is where
you've been called to serve.
Water is where you will be tested.
This will serve
in place of your PT in-test.
This is a golno-go exercise.
You will tread water for one hour.
You touch the wall, you fail.
You touch the bottom, you fail.
You fail and you go home.
Senior, this school operates
on a two-challenge rule.
You can't throw them out
on their first day.
If you cannot survive
in a warm pool of water,
then you have no business being here.
Does this class understand?
Yes, Senior Chief!
Oorah, Class 5506.
Now, who here can tell me
the rescue swimmer's motto?
"So others may live," Senior Chief!
Oh, I feel safer already.
You willing to sacrifice your life
so others may live, Goldfish?
Yes, I am, Senior Chief.
You will have to earn that right.
I want all of you to think about that.
There's going to come a time
when you reach the point of exhaustion
and you wanna give up.
Question is, will you?
There are three letters
that will set you free.
DOR. Drop on Request.
Look at that.
Waste of time.
- You all right?
- Hey. Come on, stay up.
Somebody help him out.
Hey, he's going under, man!
Help him out.
Come on!
- Help him out.
- Help him out!
Guys, relax, man!
Come on.
Come on, man.
You're dismissed.
- I cramped up.
- You're gone.
Let's go, Lyons,
out of the water. Hurry up.
- Let's go.
- Let's go.
On your feet.
muscle does not float.
Petty Officer Watson,
pull them out of the pool.
Aye, aye, Senior Chief.
Let's go, people, out of the water.
Hurry up! Let's move, people!
Hurry up! Hurry up!
Class leader, right here.
I thought you said you were willing
to sacrifice your life for another.
I am, Senior Chief.
Then why didn't you
save your teammate
when he reached out for you?
I wasn't aware we were working
as a team, Senior Chief.
That's the only way we work,
swim champ.
Aye, aye, Senior Chief.
Asshole.
- Come again?
- You heard me.
Hey, hey, hey! Ease up! Ease up!
- It's not worth it.
- Come on.
Good news, Lyons. I think there's
an opening on my buoy tender.
I'll put in a word for you, huh?
I'm really gonna miss that guy.
- Hey, man, what are you doing?
- Got your bunk back.
- Captain.
- Ben. Come in.
You work fast.
Lyons,
he was one of our top candidates.
Sometimes you gotta shoot a hostage.
Look, we all know
that you're a legend and all,
but our program
has been proven to work.
There's a gap between training and
what really happens out there, Cujo.
- Oh, really?
- That's right.
My intention is to narrow that gap.
Now, if someone has a problem
with that idea,
I'd like to hear about it.
Is this how it's gonna be, sir?
Yes, it is.
- Permission to be dismissed, sir?
- Granted.
Let's go. Let's go.
Keep it together. Look tight!
Keep it together. Let's go. Let's move.
You've got three minutes
to get this gear on. All of it.
Set! Go!
Let's go.
Are you ready?
Come on, rescue swimmer!
Don't quit on me.
Do you hear me?
Do you hear me?
Pop tall! Pop tall! Pop tall!
If you make a mistake, just fess up to it.
Take your licks and we'll press on.
Everybody now is gonna pay
for your potty mouth.
- Down. Up.
- One!
Down.
- Up.
- Three!
Down. Up.
Five! Six!
- Forward.
- Seven!
Are you crazy?
I'm the commander! Get up!
- Oorah!
- Get down! Get down!
Oorah!
Go.
Oorah.
Oorah.
Oorah!
Can you die from chlorine poisoning?
I can't feel my legs. I'm serious.
I don't know about you guys,
but I feel good.
This Randall guy, he's operating
on some whole other cylinder.
What is it, two weeks, and he's failed
almost half the class already?
He's a legend.
They say he's got
something like 200 saves.
I heard it was 300.
Who cares what his number is?
If he's such a stud,
what's he doing here?
How we feeling, boys?
Hey, Z, where you going?
My sister's best friend
is getting married,
and they're having
a big reception downtown.
I promised her I'd go.
Wait, you said wedding reception?
- Congratulations.
- Thanks.
Hi.
- Congratulations.
- Hi.
Nice to meet you.
Yes, Kodiak, Alaska.
The number for Helen Randall.
Okay, try Helen Freeman.
You betcha.
Hi, you've reached
Helen. Leave a message.
Helen, it's Ben.
Jesus, that was weird.
Haven't had to use your maiden name
since we were kids.
Helen, if you're there, just pick up.
We need to talk.
Please.
All right. All right.
To those who have fallen,
to those who have survived Phase 1.
- Cheers.
- Cheers.
- Oorah, oorah, oorah.
- Guys, this is great.
And to our gal Lindsey.
You can rescue me anytime.
- Did he just say that?
- You did not just say that.
- Did he just say that?
- You did not just say that.
You know what, Doran?
You, I think I might actually let drown.
Oh!
Hey, Senior Chief.
Ben, she's hot tonight.
This place has not changed.
- From Kodiak, Alaska...
- Don't.
... Senior Chief Ben Randall
is in the house,
big as day and still alive.
I must owe somebody money.
- You're terrible.
- Oh, Ben.
I heard a rumor you were gonna be
teaching here in town.
If that ain't the karmic wheel spinning,
I don't know what is.
Well. To the prodigal's return.
- Where's your better half?
- She decided to stay home.
- Oh.
- Work stuff.
Yeah. Winter in Kodiak.
Let me see. Winter in Louisiana.
- All right, stop. Stop.
- "She decided to stay home."
Well, it's a good thing
we got a full bottle and half the night.
Yes, we do.
Check it out. She's staring at you.
That girl right there
is not staring at me.
Did you just point at her?
- Did she see you point?
- I don't know.
All right, now you gotta go talk to her.
You gotta go make a move.
- Yeah.
- I can't.
I just don't feel comfortable right now
talking to women.
You're telling me
you wanna jump out of helicopters
- for a living...
- You're talking to me.
...but you can't go talk to a girl?
- That's exactly what I was telling you.
- You're smooth.
All right, look,
I'm gonna help you out here.
I'll show you how it's done.
Pick out the hottest girl in here.
I'll take her home.
- Oh, gosh.
- Okay.
- Here he go, now.
- No, how about I will find the girl?
All right.
- Okey-doke.
- Who you thinking?
Make sure she's hot.
- Where you looking?
- Okay.
At the bar. Two o'clock.
- Yes.
- That's a good one.
There's no way in hell
she's talking to you.
- That one?
- Yeah, that one.
Hundred bucks says
she shuts you down
in less than a minute.
Boom.
- That looks like a bet to me, Jake.
- That's a bet.
All right. All right.
Hundred bucks says I close
in less than a minute.
Oh, absolutely.
- Hats off, man.
- Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Tick-tock.
Clock starts when I talk to her.
That's fine.
This is
gonna be embarrassing.
All right, buddy.
What do you think?
What do you got?
- You think he's gonna do it?
- Yeah.
Evening, ma'am.
Can I buy you a drink?
I don't think so.
You don't know what you're missing.
You sure you wanna go with that one?
That's, like, your top-of-the-line,
A-game material?
See, the way I see it,
you got two choices here:
walk away from me,
or walk out of here with me
and split the cash.
Cash?
What cash?
The money you bet your friends
you could pick me up.
See, that makes me nervous.
She's shutting him down.
How much time you got left?
- About 20 seconds.
- Shall we?
- Oh, my gosh.
- No way.
It looks like they're leaving
the bar together, is what I see.
No way!
You have got to be kidding me.
- Unbelievable.
- How did he do that?
- I'm impressed.
- I'm impressed.
There's a bar outside your base
called Maggie's. You know it?
Yeah.
Good. Meet me there next Friday
around 8:00?
- You got a name?
- Yeah.
Don't forget my money.
You got a middle name?
You do realize I can't go back in there.
This is the sound of death knocking.
SAR alarms and sleep deprivation
are part...
Where the hell are they?
You know, the first stages
of hypothermia are the most critical.
Why?
Because you still have
the ability to think. Say it.
You still have
the ability to think.
The decisions you make
during this stage
are gonna determine
whether you live or die.
There a reason
you're not breathing, Goldfish?
Is there a reason
why you're not breathing?
I don't know anyone
who can stay alive without breathing
for 15 minutes, Senior Chief.
Are you a coroner?
Because pronouncing people dead
is not part of our job description.
What do we always say?
There's dead
and then there's dead.
We never stop, Jake,
not from the cabin to the tarmac.
- We never stop.
- Aye, aye, Senior Chief.
- Understood?
- Yes, Senior Chief.
Okay, Jake, in the pool.
Hodge, you're up.
You're with the dummy.
All right, now. Three letters.
Three letters will get you people
a cup of hot coffee and a blanket.
What do you say, Goldfish?
I'm actually not that cold anymore,
Senior Chief.
You're not cold anymore
because blood is moving
from your outer extremities
to your heart.
That's why your arms won't work.
You can plan on spending
roughly 60% of your career
in a mildly hypothermic state.
Senior Chief, may I have a word?
Sir?
Why wasn't I informed of this?
You know, we have classrooms.
Your assignment is to simply teach
the stages of hypothermia.
Sir, in about two and a half minutes,
they'll understand.
Permission to carry on, sir?
Go ahead.
Three letters, people, will get you
a hot cup of coffee and a warm blanket.
What do you say, Class 5506?
Oorah.
This is an oxygen-deprivation
anaerobic exercise.
You and your partner
will push your brick
along the bottom of the pool,
down and back.
If you need air, you may surface.
One breath.
Your partner must remain underwater
until you return.
Your brick can only move
while both of you are touching it.
If you both surface, you both fail.
This exercise is designed
to teach you teamwork.
On my whistle, drop your gear,
enter the pool and pair up.
I said one breath, Sunkist. Let's go!
- I can't.
- Come on!
- I can't.
- "I can't."
Get your ass out of the pool! Let's go!
Come on! Lean and rest.
You wanna quit, just quit now.
I could use those new shoes.
Senior Chief, we got a problem.
Somebody's missing.
Jesus Christ.
That's gotta be a new record. Oorah.
I'm so sick of records. Go get him.
You think I'm impressed because
you can hold your breath, Goldfish?
I wouldn't venture to say
what would impress you, Senior Chief.
All right. Get him out of the pool.
We're done for the day.
Out of the pool, Fischer. Let's move.
- Oorah!
- Move your ass.
Pop tall, Sunkist.
Out of the pool.
Out of the pool.
Records.
Never stare
directly into the flame, people.
It will impair your night vision.
This is a Mark 58 flare.
This is what it looks like.
It'll light up a 50-foot swath of water
and can be detected by infrared
miles out.
This is a demonstration model.
The normal one will burn
for 40 to 60 minutes.
Hey, pay attention.
The Mark 58 is used to reference
the wind, to detect a current.
Petty Officer Watson is gonna talk
a little bit more about that.
Five minutes.
The vessel you're looking
at right now,
people, is listing to the port side.
As a rescue swimmer, when you get
to the door of the helicopter,
you need to look down
and pay attention
to what you really have down there.
It's very important
that you understand your limitations.
Limitations without understanding
are gonna get you killed.
Case in point, this vessel's trapped
in pancake ice in the Bering Sea.
And as you can see,
the crew are out on the deck
in a relatively manageable
hoisting position.
But suddenly...
Those pieces of ice can weigh in
upwards of thousands of pounds.
Now imagine yourself trapped
in between 2,000-pound pieces of ice
trying to free-swim.
Thank you, Chief.
Next scenario, Petty Officer Watson.
Before you leave
that helicopter, going down to a...
Standardization is one of the reasons
we were so successful during Katrina.
We had crews come in
from all over the country,
but it didn't matter, because we have
all been trained the same way.
I didn't know my pilot,
I didn't know my copilot,
I didn't know my flight mechanic.
But guess what?
It didn't matter, because...
That's why we do it.
So you have to get your mind
wrapped around that idea.
When that helicopter starts going,
when the wind starts coming...
Twenty!
Down! Up!
- Twenty-one!
- Down! Up!
- Twenty-two!
- Down! Up!
Twenty-three!
- Two!
- Down!
- Up!
- Three!
Don't need no land
Don't need no tree
Out in the water
That's where I wanna be
- Hey, Mags, can I have a beer?
- Sure.
Well, well.
So you are gonna
have a drink with me.
No, I'm having a drink near you.
Entirely different thing.
You're a regular lightning rod,
aren't you?
- What's your name?
- Daisy Buchanan.
You're lying, Daisy Buchanan.
- There is that possibility.
- No.
That was a sure-fire lie.
So I take it
you've read The Great Gatsby.
- Where's my money?
- It's not on me.
But it is close. In a very safe place.
Now, I've drawn a map
with a complex set of clues.
Each one is more fiendishly clever
than the last.
That works, too.
This is just a picture of your pants.
Yeah, but it's a bad picture, which is
what makes it so fiendishly clever.
Nice.
How did Emily Thomas
become a schoolteacher?
Well, how does Jake Fischer
become a guy
who wants to jump out of helicopters?
I killed a couple guys
and had to get out of Dodge.
- You're lying.
- There is that possibility.
The truth.
My bull-riding career
was going down the drain.
- Okay, that's better.
- All right, now you.
I really should go.
Go? What? No, you're not going.
We're just starting to have fun.
You're insulting my drawing.
No, you were insulting your drawing.
Although, to be fair,
it's a pretty lame drawing.
All right. Well, you can't go,
'cause you owe me a dance.
No, I don't think so.
Well, then, I'm gonna
have to take that money back,
'cause I wouldn't feel right
taking the money...
Look, every 18 weeks,
a new bunch of you guys comes in,
all looking to score with the local talent.
I live here. I work here.
It's a good thing
I'm just asking for a dance, then.
Okay, one dance.
No attachments. Just casual.
I'm a guy. I can do casual.
Mmm-hmm.
I am the king of casual.
There's just one thing, though.
You're gonna have to stop
undressing me with your eyes,
'cause there's no way
you're getting me into bed.
Hey, you.
I gotta get to work.
- I'm late. I fell asleep.
- What...
- They're gonna kill me.
- They won't kill you.
This isn't like school.
They don't hand out tardies
in the military.
- You smell really good.
- I smell like you.
- He never came back?
- Nope.
Wow.
Four years as lead instructor,
I never had one go missing.
All right, take the others to the pool.
I'll catch up.
Aye, aye, Senior.
Oh, God, there they are.
Stop. Stop the car. Stop.
- Here?
- Yes.
- Okay.
- I'll call you.
You better. Bye.
Jake! Jake! Jake!
Airman Fischer's
coming in late, yeah
Here.
Airman Fischer's
coming in late, yeah
Hi.
Must be nice to go out on a date, yeah
Must be nice to go out on a date, yeah
Oh, my goodness, look at this.
Look at this.
"Freshman Leads Team to State Title."
That's you.
Holy smokes.
"At only 16, Jake Fischer displays
the traits of a seasoned athlete.
"One thing's for sure: the future
looks bright for this young competitor."
Guess they didn't know
you were gonna flunk out of "A" School.
You have a nice evening?
Get dressed.
Think we need another brick.
Bring it in.
Goldfish.
Goldfish.
Thanks to Mr. Fischer's
extracurricular activities,
you have all now gone 36 hours
without sleep.
Blow it.
Class leader, you are done.
Form it up in the shallow end.
Aye, Senior Chief!
Class 5506, form it up!
No. No, no, no. You're with me.
I'm a rescue swimmer, yes, I am
I'm here to pull your ass out of this jam
I jump from the helo
and swing from the cable
All right, knock it off.
I am having a hard time
figuring you out, Fischer.
I mean, you like seeing your picture
in the paper.
In it for the glory, maybe a few chicks.
Am I right?
But when it comes down to it,
you will choose yourself over them
every time,
like you did on the first day in the pool,
like you did yesterday
by missing muster.
Won't happen again, Senior Chief!
Why don't you do us both a big favor
and quit?
I'm a rescue swimmer, yes, I am
I'm here to pull your ass out of this jam
I jump from the helo
and swing from the cable
I'm not Tarzan
I'm just willing and able
Give me something else, Senior Chief.
Thirty!
Thirty-one!
Thirty-two!
Thirty-three!
Thirty-four!
Thirty-five!
Thirty-six!
Stop. Drop them.
Senior Chief's on deck. Pop tall.
Oorah!
Morning, class.
Today we were going to learn
about how to approach
a drowning victim in high seas,
but I think there are some here
who aren't interested in that victim.
Fact, I think there's some in this class
who aren't interested
in saving lives at all.
I believe there are some
who are more interested
in setting records.
So today is record day.
Put one on the board for Goldfish.
Wow, he's fast.
He's good.
You got it, man! You got it, Fisch!
Another record. Chalk it up, Chief.
- Get some.
- You are the man!
You people do not deserve
to be in the same pool as Jake.
He's destroying you.
Wow, look at him go! He's fast!
Wow, he's fast.
Come on, you're all fighting for second.
Just first loser.
This is fun.
We'll pass out trophies later.
Unbelievable.
Unbelievable.
You want me to pull these pansies out?
- You do not wanna hear about my day.
- Yeah, I do.
Man, this guy Randall...
You know, it doesn't matter what I do.
It's just not good enough.
Well, maybe he's just trying
to push you to be better.
You know, we teachers do that
to the ones we believe in.
No, it's personal with me.
He knows that I'm better than he was.
I mean, today,
I broke every one of his records.
I own them all.
Not all of them.
There's one record you won't break.
This is the Aegis.
Medical ship. Caught on fire.
It was a nightmare.
People burning in their beds.
And Ben Randall
got every one of those people off there,
except for this one guy.
And right when the ship
started to go down,
he reaches down and grabs this guy.
He's hanging from the cable
with this man's life in his hands,
and the winch jams.
It's 20 minutes to the base.
The man's screaming.
Ben looks him dead in the eye,
and you know what he said?
He said, "I won't let go."
What happened?
Dislocated his shoulder,
tore every tendon in his hand.
But he didn't let go.
Twenty minutes, just fingertips.
You break that record
and you give me a call.
My day was all right.
So here's my thinking.
We should go on a date.
- Well, what do you call this?
- No, no, no.
I'm talking about, like, a real date.
You know, with, like, a nice restaurant,
some nice clothes.
I'll get you some flowers.
I thought we agreed
to keep this casual.
Look, it's one steak. What is...
One steak is not gonna forge some
kind of a lasting emotional bond.
I'm serious.
Yeah?
- Yeah.
- So am I.
It's one dinner. What's it gonna hurt?
Well, if you ordered a steak,
I'd imagine a cow would be involved.
What do you have, an art gallery
over here? What is this "2"?
It's so the guy behind me knows
what place he's coming in.
What about this one?
That is the initials of the guys
on my high school relay team.
A drunken celebration gone wrong?
Something like that.
- So, about this date.
- God. It's just dinner, right?
No flowers, where we will discuss
nothing emotional or important?
I am fully prepared
to do an entire hour
on nothing but the Chicago Bears.
And we can have
completely meaningless sex
immediately afterwards.
You think I'm gonna sleep with you
on our first date?
Think again.
You just head-butted me.
I'm gonna teach you the breaststroke.
It's pretty complicated,
different than that of the butterfly.
I guess I can't sleep.
Well, of course you can't.
Your wife left you.
Your best friend died.
You sound like a damn country song.
If you had a dog,
he'd be run over by now.
- So, did she send you papers?
- Yeah.
And did you read them?
No, I did not.
Well, you think you might ought to?
You know,
there never was anyone else, Mags.
Like hell, Ben.
You're a bigamist.
You been married to the Coast Guard
all along.
Give me that shoulder.
You probably swum it out of socket
trying to prove you're still 19.
Am I right?
When the heck did we get old?
Hell, I've always been old, Ben.
You know what, though? I don't mind.
I mean, if my muscles ache,
it's 'cause I've used them.
If it's hard for me
to walk up them steps now,
it's 'cause I walked up them every night
to lay next to a man who loved me.
I got a few wrinkles here and there,
but I've laid under thousands of skies
on sunny days, yeah.
I look and feel this way,
well, 'cause I drank and I smoked,
I lived and I loved,
and danced, sang, sweat
and screwed my way
through a pretty damned good life,
if you ask me.
Getting old ain't bad, Ben.
Getting old, that's earned.
There will come a time
when you might have to decide
who lives and dies out there.
It's a terrible responsibility,
When you're pulling through the water,
you're gonna pull yourself through.
- Like, you know...
- So I'll go fast.
No, you wanna lay to your side
and pull it like that.
Hey, Charlie,
you get those fittings replaced
- before you came off to get tanked up?
- Yes, sir, Captain.
Yeah, I'll believe that when I see it.
We go to "A" School,
which is the most difficult school
in the military.
The attrition rate's, like...
What is it, 50%?
- It's over 50%.
- Over 50.
We're still here,
'cause we're the best of the best.
When storms shut down entire ports,
you know who goes out?
We do.
When hurricanes...
When hurricanes ground the US Navy,
like these little guys over here,
guess who goes out?
That's right, we do.
Look, honey,
you better keep it down in here, okay?
Okay, honey. She called me "honey."
Okay, honey.
But when God himself reaches down
from heaven...
- What does he do, Jake, when he...
- Rips houses off the foundation.
When God himself rips houses
off the foundation, we go out,
because we are rescue swimmers,
and that is our job,
and that's what we do.
You might wanna
recheck your compass.
This ain't no puddle pirate bar.
No problem,
because we were just leaving anyway.
- Sit down, Hodge.
- Jake.
- Finish your beer.
- Jake.
Yeah, sit, Hodge.
That's my beer, man.
Finished now?
Must be happy hour.
Hey!
Back off.
Everyone in this place is retired Navy.
Hey. Hey, when do I get
that phone call?
I know I get a phone call.
When do I get my phone call?
Ma'am, I am sorry,
but if nobody come in 20 minutes,
I need the table.
- Okay.
- I'm sorry.
Yeah.
She's never gonna talk to me again.
You know they're gonna
kick us out for this, right?
Yep.
Least they can't say we quit.
I was never gonna make it, anyway.
Skinner's right. Panic every time.
Man, screw Skinner.
I'm Skinner. Break my hold.
Hey, what are you doing, man?
Come on, Fischer, get off me.
Clock's ticking. Break it.
Fischer, you're hurting me, man.
Fischer, get off me, man!
Come on, Fischer, you're hurting me.
Fischer, man, get off!
- Break the goddamn hold.
- Fischer, get off me, man!
- Break the goddamn hold, Hodge.
- Fischer, get off me!
I said, get off me!
All right.
Now, it's just like that
when you're in the water.
Well, now. We could come back.
Give you boys time for a smoke
and some pillow talk.
You can't kick us out.
It's called disorderly
conduct, and yes, we can.
- We didn't fail at nothing.
- Our profession is all about control.
You both failed miserably
in that department.
Hold it right there.
- Senior?
- Yeah, come in.
Their disenrollment records.
Bar fight?
- All right, bring them in.
- Senior.
Square it.
It's all my fault, Senior Chief.
Hodge had nothing to do with it.
- That true, Hodge?
- It's true.
All right. Fine, you're dismissed.
- Senior Chief, I was...
- I said that you are dismissed.
Let's go.
You're gonna kick me out
for defending the Coast Guard?
The Coast Guard's been around
for 200 years.
I doubt a couple of knuckleheads
like yourself are gonna defend it.
Sit down.
I've been trying to peel the layers
back on you for a while now, and I...
I just don't get it.
I mean, this kind of work
seems a little remedial
for someone like yourself.
You know, big swim champ,
offer to every lvy League.
You give it all up to be here with us.
- Why?
- I'm here to save lives, Senior Chief.
I spoke with your coach, Jake.
- You spoke with my coach?
- Yeah, I spoke with your coach.
Something in your file
just kept hanging me up.
You win the state championship
your freshman and sophomore year
and then you don't swim the next two.
I'm just a public school guy,
so pardon me,
but it didn't add up until now.
"Kirk Holloway,
"thrown through the passenger window.
"Pronounced dead at the scene.
"Abe lkeman, first team All-American,
lungs crushed.
"Carl Sandoval,
"made it all the way to the hospital.
Died of internal bleeding."
I guess you just know everything, then.
I know what it's like to lose a team.
Yeah?
What about living in a small town
where everyone thinks
that you killed their brother
or their son or their best friend?
You know about that?
Kind of small town where everyone
still waves to everyone,
just not to you?
I read the report, Jake.
Your blood alcohol was zip that night.
I'm guessing there was a flip
for designated driver.
You lost.
Guess that just makes it
all go away, huh?
No, it doesn't make it all right.
It just makes it an accident.
At least that's how it reads.
You were 16 years old, Jake.
I'm not your priest, but if I was, I think...
I think maybe you'd deserve a pass.
You're giving me a pass?
You just think you know everything
with your psychobabble bullshit.
Why am I here? Why are you here?
You're too old to be doing this.
You're washed-up here.
You don't wanna be teaching
a bunch of kids in a pool. Am I right?
I don't give a shit what you read
or who you talked to.
You don't know about me! You don't...
I have me under control.
I can see that.
The only difference
between you and me is,
I don't wear the ones I lost
on my arm, Jake.
I know where you're at, Jake.
I'm there myself.
I ask myself every day
why I was the one that survived.
- And?
- And...
And if I can't answer that for me,
I'm certainly not going to try
and answer it for you.
Have a seat.
I want you
to start being a member of this team,
the team you have now.
You have a gift, Jake.
You're the best swimmer
to come through this program,
hands down, by far.
You got a whole record board
to prove it.
But you know what I see
when I look at it?
I see someone fast enough
who's gonna get there first.
I see someone strong enough
who's gonna last.
I see someone who can save a life
that maybe nobody else could.
You really wanna honor
the initials on your arm?
Then honor your gift.
Save the ones you can, Jake.
The rest, we've gotta let go.
Does this mean
you're not gonna fail me?
For what, backing up a buddy in a bar?
Man, I got bigger problems than you.
I don't know about you,
but I could use a fucking drink.
Oops.
I'm gonna consider everything tonight
off-record and off-duty.
That was an invite.
Oh.
You gotta be kidding me.
- What was it they called you?
- "Puddle pirates," but it's not...
I'm way over it, Senior Chief. This is...
- Well, it's like sticks and stones.
- Well, we'll just have one beer.
Great. They're angrier
and drunker. Perfect.
Hi. Two beers.
- You gotta be kidding me.
- That's what I said.
Look, I don't want any trouble, okay?
They really don't like us, do they?
No. They think they're better than us
because they're combat-oriented.
We're the Coast Guard, Jake.
Nobody really appreciates us
until they need us.
That him?
Yep.
So let me ask you a question
before we start bleeding.
All those saves...
What's your real number?
Do you have a death wish,
or are you just shit-stupid?
I'm gonna go with stupid this time.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Who's this, your old man?
You know,
I'm really glad you're still here.
- Oh, yeah?
- Yeah.
- Behind you.
- Stand down! I said stand down.
I think you better leave.
Okay.
Come on, Jake.
All right, sit down. Have a beer.
- That went a lot better than I thought.
- Yeah.
- What the hell was that?
- I don't know.
Hey, I wanted to apologize to you
for what I said earlier about you
being old and washed-up now.
Is there anything
you'd like to say to me?
Like what?
I don't know, but I apologized to you.
I just thought that, you know,
there might be something
you've said or done
that you'd like to apologize to me for.
Why?
'Cause that's how it's done. I...
You suck at apologies, you know that?
I mean,
you're missing the whole concept.
- Hello?
- Hi. It's me.
Are you okay? What happened?
I mean, I waited for two hours.
Yeah. No. Look, I'm really sorry. I...
What happened?
It's a really long story.
Let me just... Let me put it this way.
It was the best worst night of my life.
Well, I'm glad someone had fun.
Can I see you tomorrow night?
I have parent-teacher conferences
tomorrow.
What about the next night?
I have parent-teacher conferences
all week.
- You blowing me off?
- No, Jake.
I wouldn't do that to somebody.
I gotta get up in a couple hours.
I gotta go.
- Yep.
- Goodbye.
All right, you know what
we briefed on the ground.
Same thing.
We're gonna stay together.
No matter what happens out there,
you stay together.
Whatever decision you make,
you make as a team.
We trained to freefall at 15 to 20 feet.
You fall from 50 feet,
it's like hitting concrete.
You fall 80 to 100 feet, you die.
Hey, where they going?
They're supposed to come back
for us, right?
I don't know.
Well, Hodge, you been here before.
They're gonna come back for us, right?
Yeah, but I never made it this far.
- You're kidding.
- Not to the final week.
They're not coming back.
- What do we do?
- All right, listen up.
We stay together as a group.
Nobody falls behind.
We all stay together.
One guy goes back,
we get him back up to the front, okay?
We're a team. Oorah.
- Oorah.
- Oorah!
Let's do it, 5506.
Sir, it's okay,
I'm with the US Coast Guard.
Again.
I'm a Coast Guard rescue swimmer.
I'm here to help you.
Time-out.
Class, pop tall.
Hodge, get yourself
to the side of the pool.
Aye, aye, Senior Chief.
Oorah!
Easy, Chief.
Guess it was a lucky punch.
Hodge!
- You all right, Chief?
- You stay right there!
Well done, Charlie.
Well done.
Oorah, Chief Skinner.
Class 5506, "Oorah, Hodge," on three!
One, two, three.
Oorah, Hodge!
Good for you.
Get their gear off.
- Go on, get that gear off.
- Get that gear off!
Get it off!
Class 5506,
will you come find me if I am lost?
Yes, Senior Chief!
Will you come save me
if I am drowning?
Yes, Senior Chief!
I believe you would.
I have high hopes for this class.
I have high hopes for you.
Matthew Stokes, Savannah, Georgia.
Matthew, a job well done.
Oorah, Captain.
Kenneth Weatherly,
Clearwater, Florida.
Go out there and do great things.
William Hodge, Astoria, Oregon.
Where's Senior Chief?
He had a chance to go back to Kodiak
and he took it.
He never had
much of a bedside manner.
He's a water dog, Jake,
and as it turns out,
not a half-bad teacher.
Best of luck.
Jacob Fischer, Kodiak, Alaska.
Congratulations, Jake.
Make us proud up there.
Aye, aye, Captain.
Scott Reeves, Sitka, Alaska.
Ladies and gentlemen, your graduates.
Oorah!
- Congratulations.
- Thanks a lot.
- Good job, guys.
- Good luck.
- Well, congratulations.
- Thank you.
It's okay.
We both knew
where this was going, right?
Just casual.
Right.
To getting what you've always wanted.
And always wanting more.
Take care of yourself, Jake.
- I gotta go to work.
- Yeah.
Bye.
Ladies and gentlemen,
welcome to the Rock.
I'm Captain William Hadley,
CO of Kodiak Air Station.
- Fischer.
- Yeah, right here.
Mr. Mitcheltree will square you away.
The rest of you,
step up here with Mr. Christiansen.
He will process you in.
Oh, amazing.
Not only does he come back
in great shape,
but he still thinks he can cook.
- Hello, Jake. Welcome.
- How you doing?
- Good to see you again.
- You guys keep it warm here, huh?
Glad to know
you know where a free meal is.
We need three crews in Sitka
for the weekend.
You make sure that happens.
And the stand team arrives here
next Tuesday.
Patch things up with the wife?
You fix things up with that young lady?
Well, you still have a choice, you know.
Hey, there's a question
I wanted to ask you back in school
and I didn't.
But when you can't save them all,
how do you choose who lives?
It's probably different
for everybody, Jake.
Kind of simple for me, though. I just...
I take the first one I come to
or the weakest one in the group,
and then I swim
as fast and as hard as I can
for as long as I can.
And the sea takes the rest.
Think I'm ready?
I'm not your teacher anymore, Jake.
I'm just your fellow swimmer.
That's not exactly
the answer I'm looking for there.
If I did not think you were ready,
I would not put you in the Bering Sea.
6030, this is Kodiak Ops Cent.
We are diverting your training mission
at this time.
We have two young kayakers
swept into the cave
one mile south of Saltery Cove.
- How copy?
- 6030 copies.
- We're diverting at this time.
- We've got a real case now.
Okay, guys, that tide's coming in,
and we've got six- to eight-foot rollers
coming from the north.
Senior, what do you think
about taking Fischer with you on this?
I want him with me.
All right? He's good to go.
I don't think it's gonna be
a problem sliding in there.
I think the problem's gonna be
coming back out.
That's why I got Jake with me.
Got my human speedboat.
Kodiak Ops, this is 6030.
We're on-scene at this time.
No sign of kayakers.
I'm taking her down.
Cabin door is open and locked.
Those are definitely
ten-foot waves.
Swimmer's coming to the door.
Remember, all right?
You got the whole weight of the ocean
punching through that opening.
You gotta read the hydraulics,
gotta count the waves,
then wait for the flush.
Checking swimmer.
Sure as hell hope
you paid attention in class, Speedboat.
Swimmers in the water.
Swimmers okay.
Swimmer Two is making contact
with Swimmer One.
Hey!
Over here!
- Here.
- Over here!
Got them. Three o'clock.
Right here.
We're rescue swimmers.
We're gonna get you out of here.
Can't believe
you guys actually got here.
Give me your hand.
Just the two of you?
Yeah, yeah. His arm's hurt real bad.
All right.
Swimmer One. I got two survivors.
It's gonna be a basket pickup here.
Roger.
Broken here?
You take him first.
Get him in the basket.
I'll follow with the other one
right behind you.
- You got that?
- Yeah.
- You got it?
- Yeah, yeah.
All right. I'm gonna lower you down
in here, all right?
- Okay.
- Relax, buddy. I got you.
All right.
- You're with me.
- Okay.
I don't swim so good.
- You don't swim so good?
- No, sir.
It's okay. I swim pretty good.
All right, on your back.
- Wait. Are we gonna take the boat?
- I'm the boat.
Wait. Wait, wait, wait.
- I'm not ready! I can't...
- Hey!
- Wait, wait, wait...
- Settle down!
Something's not right.
Swimmer One's going back
to the cave.
What happened?
He hit a log.
What? What are you...
What...
- He's gone, Jake.
- He's not.
He's just got a head laceration.
Here we go. Come on.
Let's go.
Let's go!
Senior Chief Randall! Lock it in.
It's simple physics.
We're just gonna time the flush,
all right?
All right.
You call it, Swimmer.
Now!
Hey, I know you're tired, okay?
I know you feel tired right now.
But you need
to keep your eyes open, okay?
All right? All right?
Hey, I need you to keep talking to him.
- You keep talking to him.
- Okay.
Senior. Senior!
Can you open these up for me?
One by one,
I want you to hand them to me.
Reyes!
He's fine.
Right here, buddy. Right here. Okay?
- Okay.
- Right here.
- Robert!
- I'm okay.
He's got a compound fracture
in his right radius.
We tried to stabilize that a little bit.
We put a collar on this one,
but it's more precautionary
than anything.
Thank you.
This one's possibly
a little bit concussive.
We checked their vitals
the whole way back.
They're both mildly hypothermic,
but I think they'll come around.
Thank you so much.
You're welcome.
It happens, Ben.
Not to me. Not like that.
I want you to sign them in front of me.
Why don't you take some time
and think about it?
No. It's...
It's over. Just sign them.
Please.
Could've happened to anyone.
Maybe.
But what if it happens again?
What then?
Kid got a couple stitches.
He's gonna be fine.
We got him out of there.
No, you did.
You were strong out there today.
I was proud of you.
What are you gonna do?
Friend of mine once suggested fishing.
Think I might take his advice.
Fishing?
Yeah.
Guys like us don't go fishing.
Where have I heard that before?
Senior, before you go,
I gotta know one thing.
What's your real number?
Twenty-two.
Twenty-two?
That's not bad. It's not 200. It's not...
Twenty-two's the number of people
I lost, Jake.
Only number I kept track of.
Keeps the sea out of your mouth.
Hey.
Hi.
You started painting again?
Yeah. Great light up there.
You know,
I wanna apologize
for the phone calls, Helen.
I should've given you your space.
And you felt
showing up here unannounced
was the best way to communicate that?
Hey.
- Please just...
- Ben.
I want you to have it, along with these.
I signed them.
Why now?
I had a... I had a case a while back.
You know, a couple was drowning.
By the time I got there,
the husband
was dragging his wife under,
just trying to stay afloat.
Pure survival instinct.
It took me...
Took me a long time to understand
that that man was me.
Oh, man. Oh, doggone it.
Sorry.
Aren't you gonna answer that?
I'm not a rescue swimmer anymore,
Helen.
Bye, baby.
Lock it up.
We have a 75-foot fishing vessel
in distress,
taking on water in high seas.
She's dead in the water
with four souls onboard.
With its dewatering pumps
unable to keep up,
it's not a matter of
if this thing is going down, but when.
Tighten her down!
We gotta secure her.
There will come a time
when you're going to have to say no.
You'll be facing crews from five to 20,
all saying, "Save me, save me."
They're looking for a miracle.
At 24 years old,
you have to find a way
to be that miracle.
Sounds good. We'll plan
our free-fall deployment to the water.
- Are you good with that, Jake?
- Yeah, copy that.
Okay, if we have to put you in,
we're gonna get you in upswell
and let the waves
take you down to the boat.
- Are you good with that?
- Roger.
We're only gonna have
about 20 minutes on-scene,
- so we gotta be quick.
- Copy that.
All right, I got the vessel in sight.
Two o'clock, about 50 meters.
Cabin door open and locked.
Pre-rescue checklist
for free-fall deployment.
Whoa, whoa!
Boat just took a wave, sir.
One appears to have gone
on the edge.
He's hanging from the cargo net.
We need to get our swimmer
down there.
Computer's showing 60 knots...
Going off com.
Prepare for a free-fall deployment
of the rescue swimmer.
Rescue checklist, part two.
Swimmer's getting ready.
Rescue checklist complete.
Swimmer's coming out.
Roger that. Check swimmer.
Swimmer's at the door, sir.
Checking swimmer.
Swimmer ready?
God help you if you ain't, boy.
Swimmer's away.
Swimmer's okay.
He's heading towards the vessel.
All right, he's cutting
through those waves pretty good.
That's it. He's approaching the vessel.
He's at the boat, sir.
Man, are we glad to see you!
Kodiak Ops, rescue 6034.
Fischer's onboard,
but vessel is compromised.
Taking on lots of water.
May not hold much longer.
Stand by for further.
How many guys you got on here?
Is anybody injured?
I got four guys.
This guy's got a broken leg.
The skipper's down below.
He's trying to start the pumps.
- All right, he's gonna go up first.
- All right.
Kodiak Ops, Kodiak Ops,
this is rescue 6034.
There's three onboard with injuries,
one more down below.
What do you want me to do?
You there,
help me get him around in here.
- Bring him on in.
- All right.
Basket is on its way up.
Strap in. Strap in!
The captain's down below,
and there's one other man on deck.
Help him out. Strap yourself in.
Get out of the way.
I repeat, the boat's going
down fast. Eight minutes to bingo.
All right, come on, get in the basket.
I have
the ready-for-pickup signal.
Hold on.
Swimmer One, Swimmer One,
come in.
Rescue swimmer, 6034.
Fischer. Come in, Fischer.
Swimmer One, Swimmer One,
come in.
- This is Swimmer One.
- Roger that, Swimmer One. Go ahead.
Swimmer One. I got one down
below. I'm gonna go down there.
Swimmer One, be advised
we've got seven minutes to bingo.
I'm going down.
- Captain?
- Yeah!
Captain?
Captain! I'm a rescue swimmer.
I'm here to help you out.
Your leg is jammed in here?
Or is it just closed...
It's the whole leg!
I tried to free the clutch and got stuck.
This is Swimmer One.
I got the captain down here
in the engine room. He's stuck.
We're gonna be a little bit.
Swimmer One, we're about out of time.
That boat's listing bad,
and we're two minutes to bingo.
I ain't leaving here without him.
Send somebody back for us,
'cause I'm staying down here with him.
Negative, Swimmer One.
We need you topside ASAP.
Swimmer One, 6034.
Swimmer One, 6034.
Kodiak Ops, Kodiak Ops,
this is 6034.
Be advised we are RTB at this time.
We are leaving the rescue swimmer
on-scene.
I say again, we are leaving
our rescue swimmer on-scene.
Who do we have left in the shop?
- All right, get her online.
- Yes, sir.
Lieutenant Krauss, suit up.
We're handling this.
I need a swimmer.
Don't worry.
No, no, they'll get him.
Don't worry! Don't worry.
Here we go.
Hold on. Hold on.
- Ready to go home?
- Yeah, man.
Captain. Captain!
- Are we cleared in, Lieutenant?
- Aye, aye, Captain.
Outstanding.
Rescue Swimmer One, this is 6008.
Do you read?
Come in, Rescue Swimmer One.
Come on, Jake, be there.
Cabin door's coming
open. Cabin door's open and locked.
All right, right there.
Right side. Nobody onboard.
All right. I see what I want.
Just get me down.
The right-hand corner.
Try to avoid the rigging.
Okay, swimmer requests
aft right-hand corner.
Aft right-hand corner.
Okay, this is what we're gonna do.
Start a rescue checklist, part two,
for a harness deployment
of the rescue swimmer.
- No trail line...
- Roger that. Backup pump is on.
All right, we'll do the hoist at 100 feet.
Roger that.
Kodiak Ops, Kodiak Ops,
rescue 6028.
Rescue 6028,
Kodiak Ops. Go ahead.
Swimmer's ready.
Load-checking swimmer.
And load check complete.
Swimmer's going out the door.
Swimmer's out the door.
Swimmer's on his way down.
Coast Guard helo, do you copy?
Coast Guard helo,
this is Rescue Swimmer One.
Do you copy?
Forward, right 40.
Forward, right 30. Watch your altitude.
Roger.
Hold.
I have a fouled cable. Fouled cable.
Paying out slack.
Coast Guard helo,
this is Swimmer Number One!
I'm in the engine room,
and the hold of the boat is filling up!
- He's trying to free the cable.
- Come on.
Okay, cable free. Cable free.
Attaboy.
Cable's free,
and I got a fray right here.
It's still good. It's still good.
I can use it. It's all we got.
All right, good.
Go back and left, Captain.
Back and left. Roger that.
Jake.
Come on.
Come on.
Jake!
Jake!
Jake?
Senior? Senior, is that you?
Goldfish!
I checked all the locks on the door.
I can't get them loose. They're stuck.
No, no, I see the problem.
It's filling up, Senior Chief!
Senior Chief! Get me out of here!
I'm almost submerged!
You gotta get the door open!
Hold on, Jake.
Senior! The captain's body!
We gotta let him go. Come on.
Jake, he's gone!
Jake!
I got both swimmers coming out.
- Both swimmers are in sight.
- All right, I got them.
Hook is going down.
Let's go forward, right 40.
Hook is halfway down.
I'm hooking into you.
We're only gonna get one shot at this.
I'm in.
I'm in!
I thought you were going fishing.
What do you call this?
Whoa.
The cable's starting
to part! The cable! Hold, hold, hold!
Okay, hold right there. Hold.
I'm bringing them up.
I gotta jam this cable into the drum.
What are you doing?
What are you doing?
Don't even think about it.
It's not gonna hold us both.
What...
Yes, it will. Don't! lt'll hold!
Senior fell. Senior fell!
Jake's got him. Jake's got him.
I gotta get them up.
I won't let go!
I know.
Senior!
Senior!
Lower me down!
Lower me down!
He just fell! He just fell!
Randall fell! Hit the water!
Lower me down!
He's in the water.
Been hit by a wave, full debris.
- Put me down!
- I can't!
You gotta lower me down now!
Get me out of here!
- You gotta lower me down!
- I can't!
I'll free-fall!
If I do, you don't come back.
I can't! I can't lose two!
Lost swimmer. Lost swimmer.
He saw the cable coming apart.
He just let go.
He was about 80, 90 feet up, sir.
He didn't come up. I don't see him.
Flash landing hover lights.
Monitor the radio, sir.
Look for flares, strobes, anything.
He fell right in the debris.
Lost swimmer. Lost swimmer.
The Coast Guard conducted
one of the largest
search-and-rescue missions
for a single man in its history,
but the body of Senior Chief
Ben Randall was never found.
I'm sorry, Helen.
There's nothing more we can do.
What makes a legend?
Is it what someone did
when they were alive...
Randall never was much
for this sort of thing.
or how they're remembered
after they're gone?
Some people actually believe
Senior Chief made the swim
to the Aleutian Islands.
He's standing
on a distant beach somewhere
with a fishing pole in his hand.
But I found my answer
a couple weeks later.
Where is he?
There's nobody else out there, man.
No, he was there.
He was with me the whole time.
He said he would hold on
till help arrived.
He never let go.
There's a legend of a man
who lives beneath the sea.
He is a fisher of men,
a last hope for all those
who have been left behind.
He is known as the Guardian.
Ben Randall always said
life is about making choices.
In the end, by making his,
he helped me make mine.
What do you remember?
What did you smell?
What did you see?
How did this make you
feel?
I'll be right back.
What are you doing here?
I lied to you.
I can't do casual.