Rescue: HI-Surf Season 1 Episode 13 Recap: Depth Charge

The North Shore team and the Navy join forces to save lives on Rescue: HI-Surf Season 1 Episode 13, “Depth Charge.”

What starts as a normal day at the beach quickly takes a dark turn when two locals go diving with their metal detectors, searching for lost valuables in the ocean.

While this is a common activity, their search comes to an abrupt halt when they uncover old bombs. Worried that the explosives might still be active, they immediately report their findings to the North Shore team.

On land, Jennings prepares for training day with the new recruits who are hoping to join the team.

He assigns Em to oversee their water training first if they survive her gruelling test, Jennings will take over for land and legal training.

Before heading out with Em, Jennings puts Laka and Will on jetskis to patrol the area where the Navy’s explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) unit will be working. Even though this is a crucial task, Laka asks to be reassigned. He owes one of the bomb squad members money from a pickleball game and wants to avoid paying up.

Seizing the opportunity to gain more experience, Kainalu volunteers to take Laka’s place. Jennings hesitates due to Kainalu’s lack of training but allows it under the condition that he follows Will’s orders.

After meeting with the bomb squad and forming a plan, the team heads into the water to locate the explosives. Unfortunately, when two Navy divers attempt to retrieve the bombs, one detonates, resulting in a devastating multi-casualty incident.

Rushing to assist, Kainalu pulls up too close to the wreckage and accidentally sets off another bomb beneath him. The explosion throws him off his jetski, knocking him unconscious.

Will quickly arrives and finds Kainalu regaining consciousness. He helps Kainalu onto the back of his jetski, along with one of the wounded Navy divers. Once they reach shore, Kainalu immediately starts CPR on an unresponsive victim while Will returns to rescue more team members.

Despite his own injuries, Kainalu continues CPR until the man regains a pulse. Just as EMS arrives, Kainalu collapses from his injuries and is rushed to the hospital.

Emergency personnel, fire, police, and lifeguards are called to the scene. Dropping their tasks for the day, Em, Laka, and Jennings rush to assist Will. Laka and Em dive to the ocean floor to rescue two trapped divers.

After successfully evacuating everyone, the North Shore team takes a brief moment to recover while paramedics tend to the wounded. But Jennings is forced to leave when he learns that Kainalu is in the hospital and that his father, the mayor, is on his way.

At the hospital, doctors confirm that Kainalu has multiple serious injuries. When he wakes up, his father urges him to quit the North Shore team and pursue law school instead.

While Kainalu understands his father’s concerns, he explains that helping people is his passion; it’s not easy, but it’s what he’s meant to do.

Back at the beach, away from the chaos, Hina and another lifeguard patrol the shore when a famous YouTuber arrives, demanding that the beach be cleared for filming.

Even though Hina is a fan of their channel, she reminds them that the beach is public, and lifeguards can’t remove people from private recordings.

Moments later, Hina spots a drowning swimmer and rushes to the rescue. When she brings him to shore, she realizes he is one of the YouTuber’s crew members, who had been instructed to fake drowning for content.

Frustrated that her time was wasted and angered by the reckless stunt, Hina threatens to call the police for public endangerment unless they leave immediately. To her surprise, the YouTuber and their crew flee without argument.

A week later, Kainalu has recovered, and the North Shore team reunites, but not for a happy occasion.

One of the bomb squad members, Kenny, succumbed to his injuries.

The team attends Kenny’s funeral to pay their respects. Even though they feel they failed in their duty, the survivors they saved express their gratitude, reminding them that while they can’t save everyone, their work still makes a difference. 

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What did you think of this episode of Rescue: HI-Surf? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Rescue: HI-Surf airs Mondays at 9/8c on FOX.

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