Original subtitles

[voices on radio]

[typing]

[sirens]

NARRATOR: In 2009, a landmark Southern

California hotel caught fire with over 300 guests inside.

Six Malibu fire engine companies responded.

But without coordinated efforts from incident command,

the resulting tragedy cost nine civilians and 16

firefighters their lives.

One man committed himself to find

a solution so that nothing like this would ever happen again.

SAF, a new division of the Malibu Fire Department,

was formed in order to respond to sea,

air, and fire emergencies.

Each member of SAF was handpicked by Captain Hal

Dunnigan, firefighter, lifeguard, former Navy

SEAL, and team leader.

First, Captain Dunnigan picked his second-in-command,

Captain John Eriksson, former US Navy SEAL,

firefighter, and lifeguard.

Go.

NARRATOR: From the Malibu Fire Department,

Lieutenant Alfonso Rivera, former Air

Force pararescue jumper, and Lily Maddox, firefighter.

For water rescues, he chose Texas Daly,

swift water rescue division--

Copy that.

NARRATOR: --and Chase Robertson, lifeguard.

And for air operations, Jarod Taylor, rescue

swimmer and helicopter pilot.

Copy that.

Returning to base.

Will stand ready.

[music playing]

MAN 1 [ON RADIO]: This is SAF Air Rescue.

We have a 40-foot fishing vessel engulfed in smoke and flames.

Over.

JAROD TAYLOR [ON RADIO]: Copy that.

Coming out with vic one. Drop a line.

[music playing]

Dropping a line.

MAN 1 [ON RADIO]: One victim clear and waiting to winch.

Yeah. Come on, Ali.

Bring it down.

Bring it down.

I gotta get back in there.

OK, I got it.

[music playing]

[sirens]

JAROD TAYLOR [ON RADIO] Standing by.

Ready to lift.

[ON RADIO] All right.

Let's go.

Lift.

JAROD TAYLOR [ON RADIO]: Copy that.

Bring him up. Bring him up.

[ON RADIO] There's There's a second vic.

I'm going back in.

JAROD TAYLOR [ON RADIO]: Copy that.

We'll take him to Del Rey hospital and return onsite.

Round trip ETA, 14 minutes.

Stand by for backup.

ETA less than a minute.

MAN 2 [ON RADIO]: Copy that, sir.

[sirens]

[music playing]

[inaudible],, what's your status?

ALFONSO RIVERA [ON RADIO]: Angles on the ceiling,

flames everywhere.

Still searching for the second victim.

Captain, this thing's ready to go.

Where are you? JOHN ERIKSSON: Almost there.

Hang on.

[sirens]

[music playing]

ALFONSO RIVERA [ON RADIO]: I have eyes on the second victim.

He's trapped.

Looks like a beam fell on him.

Gonna see if I can move him.

JOHN ERIKSSON [ON RADIO]: Copy that.

[music playing]

[creaking]

ALFONSO RIVERA [ON RADIO]: [GROANING] Come on.

OK.

I got him.

He's still breathing.

[sirens]

Take over.

Pull up alongside.

I'm going in.

Copy.

[music playing]

[breathing in mask]

[music playing]

JOHN ERIKSSON: Get me closer, Lily.

Closer.

Closer.

Good.

ALFONSO RIVERA [ON RADIO]: This boat's gonna

blow up any second, captain.

Let's get him outta here.

Hand him over.

[groaning]

JOHN ERIKSSON: Lily, go, go, go!

[music playing]

[sirens]

[explosion]

[MUSIC - JR RICHARDS, "WHITE LIGHT"]

[SINGING] Sunlight, break the day.

Feel the hope rush in our veins.

Arms entwined.

Keep us safe.

Give us strength to love, not to fade.

White light, my fate.

And I will hold you tight, keep you safe.

White light, keep us safe.

And I will pull you up, and I don't break.

White light, my fate.

I will pull you up even if it pulls me in.

My fate.

Keep us safe.

Keep us safe.

I'll keep you safe.

[music playing softly]

[suspenseful music]

Help!

[screaming]

Help!

Help!

[screaming]

[groan]

[suspenseful music]

[crash]

[groaning]

Sarah?

Sarah!

Sarah, wait.

It's me.

Don't go!

Sarah.

[gentle music]

MAN: Wash.

TEXAS DALY: It's fine. MAN: Wash.

TEXAS DALY: I am washing!

MAN: Wash the front now.

TEXAS DALY: I'm washing the front.

MAN: And that side.

Have you ever washed a car before?

TEXAS DALY: Please.

Look at your side.

It doesn't even look like you started yet.

MAN: My side?

I've cleaned half the car, and you're

still working the same spot.

That tattoo on your arm, what is that?

A cow?

Something like that?

TEXAS DALY: What?

It's a longhorn. - What is a longhorn, anyway?

It's a big long-- it's a longhorn.

- Supposed to be rock and roll? - No, no, no rock and roll.

Longhorn. - Morning, Bull.

It's a longhorn.

Hey, hey. Good morning, team.

Morning.

So what's for breakfast?

Man, I am starving.

Lily's making her grandmother's quiche.

What?

[LAUGHING] Yeah.

Damn.

REPORTER [ON TELEVISION]: Rick Manson [inaudible]----

Told you.

REPORTER [ON TELEVISION]: --successive runs.

Manson's speed--

Really?

Why didn't anyone tell me?

We were trying to be nice.

OK.

I'll just make scrambled eggs.

Even I can't mess that up.

ALL: Yes, you can.

[television in background]

REPORTER 2 [ON TELEVISION]: A fire broke out late

last night on Catalina Island.

Because it started after dark, it

took more than six hours for fire crews

to figure out where the smoke was coming from.

All over Catalina Bay, residents could smell smoke,

but no one knew what the cause was until morning.

The fire now appears to be contained.

Don't forget to tell that to the fire.

We gotta add a soccer channel to our cable package.

Could you do something besides watch soccer?

If I wanted someone to tell me what to do, I'd be married.

Thanks.

[groan] Don't you ever get tired

of writing up those reports?

Necessary evil.

I thought sleeping on the beach helped your back.

Sleeping on the beach is why I still walk.

And it never hurts to wake up in church.

[TOGETHER] Church of the open sky.

Let's go.

HAL DUNNIGAN: Probably run to Virginia, train SEAL Team 6,

run back, climb the Santa Monica Mountains,

then paddle to San Francisco, all before my first cup

of coffee.

Yeah, well, I swam to Mexico, I jogged to Canada and back,

and biked up to the Hollywood sign this

morning just as a warm-up..

I sneeze that.

How come you're looking like you're giving up completely?

You're shooting peas in a battleship.

You know, John, I started this team

to make sure we were ready for anything and everything.

Well, do you get the team right

it was the last thing you do.

Yeah

Now, I may be going crazy, but I had

the strangest dream last night.

I dreamed about Sarah.

I haven't dreamed about in over a year.

I can't shake it.

She was drowning when I saved her.

My heart was pounding when I woke up.

I'm telling you, I saw her face.

I held her in my arms.

It was Sarah.

You need to heal, John.

You haven't allowed that.

I think you need to take a little time.

Get your head together and get yourself off those painkillers.

You've had a hell of a year.

You're back, and then Sarah.

I know you needed those pills, and I supported you.

But they've become a crutch.

If anyone want to find out, you me,

this whole program would be in jeopardy.

Let's fix this together.

Does anyone else know?

No.

I haven't even told Lois.

REPORTER [ON TV]: The fire jumped a containment line

sparking a whole new spot fire.

It has forced evacuations all over Catalina Island

of more than 100 residents.

Firefighters on the island are working

to contain the fire that has now grown out of control.

The same rescue unit has been called

in to look for missing victims.

[music playing]

OK.

No wind shift is cause spot fires

to break out in several places on the island.

All members of the Catalina Fire Department

are deployed containing the fire.

A Girl Scout troop has been evacuated from a campsite

on the Trans Catalina Trail.

It was on a hike, so they never made it out.

Our IP point is here, near where

the original call came in.

Paramedics, Eriksson will drop with me.

Air rescue will stand by and will be

the only rescue team on site.

[suspenseful music]

We're 30 seconds out from the IP.

Oh, thank god you're here.

I need your help again.

Colby, I can't find her.

I can't find her.

Calm down.

Calm down and tell me your name.

My name is Jo.

OK, Jo.

Now listen to me.

How many others are there? - There were seven of us.

We were hiking.

And my daughter, I can't find my daughter.

She's nine.

I need you to be calm. OK?

We're going to help you find your daughter.

But we need to know the facts.

OK?

Now, tell me, where are the others?

They went across the ridge.

Please find my baby.

OK. OK.

Now, breathe. Just breathe.

Eriksson.

[ON RADIO] Fire rescue, this is Robinson.

Do you read?

Fire rescue.

This is Maddox, over.

I'm picking up an emergency distress call,

half a mile due east from your drop zone, over.

Copy that half mile due east.

We're on our way.

Let's get the others.

Rendezvous back here at the IP for pickup.

OK?

Be careful.

Now, when did you last see Colby, ma'am?

I was leading and I-- she was in the group.

She must have fallen behind.

What kind of mother am I?

What kind of mother am I?

[crying]

Look, it's not your fault. It's not your fault.

Now, let's find her.

Yes.

Can you lead her to where you were hiking?

Yeah, she was up there.

Up there?

Yes.

Yes.

Air rescue, do you copy?

Air rescue copy.

Air rescue, we have a missing nine-year-old

in the IP vicinity.

OK?

We request a widening circle search pattern

from the IP, altitude 500 feet.

Copy that.

Commencing outbound search of the area.

Nothing.

Too much smoke.

It's awfully hot down there.

I'm going to increase our range.

Fire rescue to headquarters.

Do you read?

Over.

SAF rescue headquarters, copy.

We're on top of the signal at the edge of a cliff.

No sign of the victims, over.

I found the cell phone that sent the distress signal.

They either jumped, fell, or turned back.

All units alert, we could have victims in the water, over.

Copy that.

We'll get eyes on it.

Have rescue swimmer ready to deploy.

Who'd know to leave their phone?

WOMAN: Help!

Please, someone, help us.

Thank god.

We heard the chopper and prayed you were coming for us.

I'm a SAF firefighter.

I'm here to help you.

I'm not worried about me.

I can get Hannah to move.

We got cut off from the fire trying to get to the others.

I can hardly walk.

I think I must have sprained my ankle.

Let me wrap it up.

Hannah's having trouble breathing.

Tell me, is this your phone, ma'am?

No.

That's Charlie's.

She's one of the volunteers.

How many of those were with you?

Two of us and Charlie.

SAF Rescue HQ, this is Maddox.

Do you read?

Over. - Copy.

Go, over.

We have two victims that are heading back to the IP.

Three victims still missing, two children and an adult. Repeat,

three victims missing, over.

Copy that.

So we gotta get you two back to the IP for pickup,

all right?

Yeah.

OK.

Follow me.

Annie, what are you doing?

I told you to stay on the outer rocks where you were safe.

I was scared by myself.

Is Kate dead?

No, she's not dead.

We're going to die, aren't we?

We're not going to die.

I just wish you would have listened to me

and stayed where it was safer.

I thought we were going to get burned out by fire.

But now, it looks like we're going to drown.

We are not going to drown.

I'm almost a lifeguard.

If you're not even a lifeguard,

we're really going to drown.

Annie, please.

I need to think.

OK, I need to stabilize Kate's neck.

Grab that branch and hand it to me.

Listen to me, Annie.

These rocks can be very dangerous.

You can really hurt with those waves coming in.

I need you to be very careful and secure

yourself on that rock.

OK?

What are you doing?

I'm making a C collar to stabilize her neck.

How do you know how to do that?

I learned it in rookie school.

SAF air rescue, we have confirmation

of three more missing victims.

I repeat, three more missing victims.

MAN [ON RADIO]: Copy that.

WOMAN: Colby?

Colby?

Colby, it's Mommy.

Colby.

Hey, a water bottle.

Colby.

It's Colyby's I bought it for her for the camping trip.

Colby. Colby!

Calm down, ma'am.

Calm down.

She must be nearby.

HQ rescues, you're done again.

These coordinated water dropped 200 yards due north of the IP.

Colby.

[crying]

Let's go.

Come on, let's go.

Colby!

Don't be afraid, Kate.

I've got you.

And you just stay perfectly still for me, OK?

I'm afraid you may have hurt your neck

when we jumped into the water.

I can't move, Miss Charlie.

It's better if you don't move.

I need you you to stay perfectly still for me, OK?

Is that too tight?

That's fine.

OK.

I want to go home.

So do I.

I want my mom.

Me too, Kate.

Me too.

We're never going to get out of here.

Firefighters are all over the island right now.

It's only a matter of time before they find us.

We'll probably be dead by then.

Stop saying that.

I don't want to die.

We're not going to die, Kate.

I want to go home.

We're going to go home.

All right, Annie, I need your help.

I'm going to swim around the rocks to see

if there's a beach close by.

I need you to hold Kate really steady for me while I go.

Can you do that?

OK.

Come here.

OK, right here.

Hold her here under her shoulders and neck, OK?

Got her?

It's really important. You can't let go of her.

OK?

Can you do that?

Yes.

OK, I'll be back.

I'm cold.

[whimpering]

OK.

The beach is close enough for me to get you guys there safely.

I can only take one at a time.

Annie, I'm going to take Kate first, OK?

OK.

Do not move from this spot.

I'll be back for you as soon as I get her to safety, OK?

Promise me you won't move this time.

I promise,

Come on, Katie.

[music playing]

[crying]

REPORTER [ON TV]: We have been told there are still

seven people missing from the Santa Monica

based Girl Scout troop 77.

Four of the missing are children.

Adding to the concern, firefighters

have witnessed 45 mile per hour wind gusts

clearly fanning the flames.

OK, Katie.

I'm going to go back for Annie.

I need you to lay perfectly still for me.

Please, trust me.

You have an injury that could get worse if you move.

Do you understand?

Yes, Miss Charlie.

OK.

I'll be back as fast as I can.

[suspenseful music]

WOMAN: Colby?

It's Mommy.

We wanna help you.

Colby?

Wait.

We just got a wind shift.

SAF HQ rescue this Dunnigan,.

This is a Code 3.

I repeat, we have a wind shift.

That fire is less than a quarter mile away.

Where the hell is that water drop?

SAF HQ copy.

No water drop available, sir.

Let's go.

How are you doing?

I'm afraid.

I know you can do this, Annie.

OK, we're gonna be swimming against the current.

It's going to get a little bit rough.

So I need you to be really brave, OK?

And I need you to kick with all you've got.

Can you do this?

You ready?

OK, come on.

Let's go.

[suspenseful music]

I got a flash from the rocks at the edge of the beach.

I see all three missing victims down on the beach.

ETA ASAP, airlifting three missing victims, over.

Kate?

Hey, I'm a SAF firefighter.

Is everybody OK?

We have a possible neck injury.

You did this?

Yes, sir.

Not bad.

She's almost a lifeguard.

Really?

I'm sorry, sir.

I know I was responsible for these girls.

I did everything I could.

You did a good job.

Come on, honey.

All units, the fire turned up slope.

Move to the IP.

We got to get out.

Copy.

This is Taylor standing by for major trauma extraction.

ETA to IP, two minutes.

Come on this way.

Let's go.

Keep it down.

You have to find my daughter.

All units, we're critical now.

What's your ETA?

ETA less than 30 seconds.

Colby?

Colby?

It's OK.

It's OK.

Please, we have to go back for Colby.

Please.

Please.

We have to go back for my baby.

Breathe .

Nice and easy.

There's our pickup.

All right.

Get ready for extraction.

Injured first.

Let's go.

CHILD: Help!

Mommy.

I hear something.

No. I can't leave her.

Please, stay calm.

We'll find her.

[SOBBING] Please, I can't leave her.

Colby!

I wanna help my baby.

I can't leave.

Dunnigan.

Take him back in.

Go to her.

Captain, sir.

Dunnigan.

Colby.

Dunnigan.

Dunnigan.

Colby!

[coughing]

Colby.

Colby.

[coughing]

Dunnigan!

Dunnigan!

Mommy!

Dunnigan!

Colby.

Colby.

Colby, I'm coming.

[coughing]

[crying] Mommy!

Mommy!

Colby, you OK?

You OK?

Oh, Colby, we're going to see your mama.

OK?

Your-- I got you.

OK.

[suspenseful music]

[screaming]

[gasps]

[grunts]

Run, Colby.

Don't look back.

Run straight ahead.

Run, Colby.

Your mama's waiting.

Run.

[coughs]

[interposing voices]

Dunnigan.

COLBY: Help.

Mommy!

I got you.

I got you.

Mommy.

You're safe.

It's OK.

You're safe.

OK, sweetheart, I need you to curl up in a little ball.

Can you do that for me?

We got to move.

We can't leave them.

If we don't move, we're all going up in flames.

[CRYING] My baby.

Don't look.

[crying]

Keep your eyes closed, sweethearth.

Everything's going to be just fine.

COLBY: [crying]

Come on.

I'll protect you.

It's burned over.

Get us back down there.

I see something.

[crying]

Oh, no.

No.

Get the shield on the ground now.

It's OK, sweetheart.

[coughing]

It's-- it's OK.

I'll take of you.

You're hurt.

I'm OK.

I'm OK.

I'm going to get you out of here.

Let's go find your mommy.

Hurry, Alfonso, run.

Colby.

Colby.

Where's Dunnigan?

He's out there.

Alfonso?

Oh, my god.

[gasping]

He can't breathe.

Oh, my god, Alfonso.

Dunnigan?

Dunnigan?

Dunnigan?

Dunnigan?

I found him.

I found Dunnigan.

He's gone.

Hey, Charlie.

Wait up.

Hey, how are you doing?

Oh, the doctors say I'm OK.

But I don't feel OK.

Yeah.

Well, what you did out there today was amazing.

And it turns out that girl Kate?

She did have a neck injury.

Doctors even say if it wasn't for your fast action,

she could have been paralyzed.

So you should feel really good about that.

I just don't feel too good about anything right now.

That's natural.

Hey, can I do anything for you, or the give you a ride home?

No thank you.

My parents are waiting for me outside.

I'll see you later.

Later, Charlie.

[beeping]

How's he doing?

He's got third degree burns on over 40% of his body.

He's lucky to be alive.

Now, we put him into an induced coma

to let his body have time to rest and heal.

He's got a rough road ahead of him.

He's going to need a lot of support to get through this.

Right now, I think you should just go home and get some rest.

They called a vote, guys.

They're ready for the memorial swim.

[music playing]