During one of the worst storms in living memory, on the south coast of England the crew of Hastings lifeboat receive an emergency call. A surfer, hoping to make the most of the huge swell, is missing at sea. Launching into the force-11 storm, with winds in the channel gusting over 90 miles an hour, the crew begin their search, battling not to become casualties of the storm themselves. On the north coast of Cornwall, the crew of St Agnes race to reach three people caught in a treacherous rip current that is pulling them out to sea. And in Scotland, the Firth of Cromarty is used by deep-sea oil platforms to shelter from the worst ravages of the North Sea, but the fast-flowing tides and currents of the Firth carry their own dangers. The crew of Invergordon lifeboat are called out when two men are spotted clinging to a rig's anchor chain, in danger of being swept out into open sea.