[Opening theme playing]
♪ Some people stand
in the darkness ♪
♪ Afraid to step
into the light ♪
♪ Some people need
to help somebody ♪
♪ When the edge of
surrender's in sight ♪
♪ Don't you worry
♪ It's gonna be all right
♪ 'Cause I'm always ready
♪ I won't let you
out of my sight ♪
♪ I'll be ready
♪ I'll be ready
♪ Never you fear
♪ No, don't you fear
♪ I'll be ready
♪ Forever and always
♪ I'm always here
♪ 'Cause I'm always ready
♪ I won't let you
out of my sight ♪
♪ I'll be ready
♪ I'll be ready
♪ Never you fear
♪ No, don't you fear
♪ I'll be ready
♪ Forever and always
♪ I'm always here.
[Upbeat music]
[Breathing heavily]
[Tranquil music]
-Whoo!
-Hey, you already for
the big race tomorrow?
-Oh, yeah. You gonna ride?
-Nah, my knee's all banged up.
-Cody: yeah, we'll
miss you out there.
-Hey, well, look at it this
way, at least you've got some
-Chance of winning tomorrow.
-[Laughing]
-Excuse me, do you know where
I can find caroline holden?
-Yeah, she's working
tower 14, just down the ramp,
Turn left, you can't miss it.
-Thank you.
-No problem.
-Wonder what they
want with caroline.
-Newmie: I don't know.
-Well, I'll see you newmie.
-Newmie: all right.
-Hey, watch it.
-Man: sorry.
-It's in my briefcase.
-Hi, can I help you?
-Are you caroline holden?
-Yes.
-This is for you.
-Caroline: what is it?
-A summons for you to
appear in civil court.
-Civil court? What's
this all about?
-You're being sued for
negligence in the death
Of thomas o'hara.
-Thomas o'hara? I'm
sorry, I don't know anybody
By that name, you might
have the wrong person.
-You don't remember him?
How could you forget?
-Ellen: you might remember
him better as cowboy?
-He's my son, my only child,
And you left him to die
At the bottom of the ocean.
They still allow you
to be a lifeguard.
-Rose, let's go.
[Melancholy music]
-Hey, milton.
-Hey, mitch.
-Hey, you, where you been?
I've been looking
all over for you.
-The county council's office.
-What's up?
-The county's being sued
for wrongful death
By the family of
a drowning victim.
-You're kidding.
-I'm gonna need to see
your files on the incident.
-Don't tell me, the boat fire?
Which lifeguards
are named in the suit?
-Just caroline.
Why, were there
others involved?
-You ever get the feeling
that there's just too many
Attorneys in the world?
-I still haven't gotten
a complete account
Of what happened that night.
Wanna fill me in?
-Bunch of kids were out
on a boat, getting zonked,
Setting off fireworks.
They managed to set
the boat on fire.
They jumped in the water
to avoid the flames.
Caroline was the
first to respond.
She rescued three of the boys,
newmie rescued the fourth.
-Caroline, how many
were on the boat?
-Four.
-Problem was, there were
five boys on the boat.
-She must've been
a wreck afterward.
-Her entire life fell apart.
It took a long time to put
the pieces back together.
-We can't let
that happen again.
Where is she?
-Her shift ended about
a half an hour ago.
You wanna talk to her?
-Sam:
yeah, I better do that.
-Do me a favor, will ya?
Go easy on her?
[Dramatic music]
-Sam: I guess you know.
I'm so sorry, caroline.
-They came right
up to my tower.
The mother wanted to see the
woman who let her son die.
-You didn't let anyone die.
-Yes, I did.
You weren't there.
-I talked to mitch,
he told me what happened.
-I knew this wouldn't go away.
I knew that no matter how
hard I tried to forget,
That this wouldn't go away.
Now I've gotta go
to court and I have
To relive the whole thing.
-I've already talked to the
lawyer who's handling the case.
He said nine times out of ten,
these kind of things
Are dismissed or
settled out of court.
You've been through some
tough times lately, I know,
But you're gonna
get through this.
Promise, no matter what
happens, we will be with you
Every step of the way.
[Melancholy music]
-Have you heard
from caroline?
Wasn't she supposed to
cook dinner tonight?
-C.j.: No, I haven't heard
from her. Maybe she forgot.
-That's all right.
Made a big race tomorrow,
just gonna eat a big bowl
Of pasta and go to bed early.
-Yeah, there you go,
I gave you a little toy.
-C.j., Where did
that baby come from?
-You don't know where
babies come from?
-C.j.
-We're babysitting.
-For who?
-For our friend
in robert down 34d.
They haven't been out
by themselves since james
Was born, so I said we'd
look after him tonight.
Hi, cody.
My name is james.
-Heya, james. How's
it going, buddy?
-You just had a
little nap, didn't we?
You hungry?
You want some nummies?
-Nummies?
-Yeah, I'm gonna
heat up some formula.
Here.
-[Laughs] that's okay,
I'm not too good with babies.
-Now's the perfect
time to learn.
Put your towel down and
put your arms out straight.
There, is that comfortable?
-For him or me?
-Well, cradle him in
your arms like a football.
There.
-Okay, now what do I do?
-Snuggle him close
to your chest.
Isn't he adorable?
I wanna have a little
guy just like this.
Don't you?
-Yeah, maybe, some day.
That a boy.
[Baby pooping]
What's he doing?
Oh, no, oh, no, no.
-It's your first dirty diaper.
-No, c.j. Take him.
-Oh, what are you
so squeamish about?
It's just poopies.
-I don't do diapers.
-C.j.: Men are such wimps.
-Oh, god.
-They've assigned you
the most qualified person
In the county council's office.
Mitch knew him, they
went to school together.
Steve, this is caroline holden.
-Steve cost.
-I thought you said
the charges were going
To be dismissed.
-The judge wouldn't
grant our motion.
There's still a chance
we will reach a settlement,
But until we have a deal,
we have to prepare for trial.
You should also be aware that
in addition to the charge
Of negligence, they are
seeking punitive damages
Against you personally
for reckless conduct.
-Reckless conduct?
Wait a second,
I didn't act recklessly.
If anybody acted
recklessly, those boys did.
-How much are they asking
in punitive damages?
-Two million dollars.
-Two million dollars.
-The county will defend you
on all counts,
But if a jury should
find against you
On the reckless conduct
charges, you could be personally
Liable for those damages.
-They know there's
no way she can come up
With two million dollars.
-They are using that figure
as leverage
For settlement purposes.
It's highly
unlikely any jury
Would award that much,
but these days, who knows.
-Mm-hm, so they could just
take everything that I have.
-These are very serious
charges, caroline.
[Calming music]
-Man: hey, man.
-Woman: good luck!
[Thrilling music]
[Cheering]
[g*nsh*t firing]
-Drive me.
[Cheering]
-Whoo!
-Yes! Whoo!
-Congratulations.
-All right, thank you.
-Good race, man. Good race.
-Whoo-hoo! Yes!
Baby, come here. Yeah.
-Good job.
-Congratulations, that was
a hell of a race you just ran.
Thank you.
-Keith: keith curby.
-Cody madison.
-How long have you been
racing mountain bikes?
-Actually, I just
started, this is
My first
serious competition.
-Really, you know
I represent a lot of the guys
In the pro circuit.
I was hoping we might
be able to sit down
Sometime and chat.
-Yeah?
-Between the events themselves
and the endorsements,
A guy like you could make
an awful lot of money.
-I like the sound of that.
-The companies that
sponsor the tour
Absolutely are dying
to find someone
To pitch their products.
You might have the potential
to be that someone.
[Soothing music]
-Let's start with
a few general questions
Before we get into the
specifics of the case.
You are how old?
-Caroline: 26.
-Marital status?
-Caroline: I'm divorced.
-Me, too. Sucks.
Any kids?
-No.
-Education?
-Caroline: I've a bachelor's
degree from san diego state.
-That's where I went to school.
What year did you graduate?
-'92.
-[Laughs] I was
a little bit before that.
How long have you
been lifeguarding?
-Three years.
-Have you ever
participated in a rescue
That resulted
in a fatality before?
-No.
-Steve: I'm sure this was
a very traumatic experience
For you and not something
you want to relive,
But I need to know exactly
what happened that night.
Take your time.
Try to remember as
much detail as you can.
-I was working a
double shift that day.
I went out onto the scarab just
before the sun was setting.
I remember what a beautiful
sunset it really was.
295 From baywatch scarab one.
I'm on patrol
Northbound out of
marina del rey.
About an hour after it got dark,
I noticed someone
sh**ting off fireworks,
So I headed
in that direction.
[Boys shouting]
As soon as I saw the flames,
I called for back up.
By the time... I got
there, everyone had
Already jumped overboard.
[Dramatic music]
[shouting]
[Coughing]
When I reached the first
victim, I remember him as being
One of the boys I had
seen earlier that morning.
-Where did you see him?
-They were cruising the marina.
They were acting like
a bunch of jerks.
-How many boys did
you see on the boat?
-I saw five.
-You're positive it was five?
-Yes.
-Then, why did you
only rescue four?
Was it a mental lapse?
Did it slip your mind?
-No.
-You said you had been working
a double shift, were you tired?
-No, I wasn't.
-So then, you just screwed up, that's it?
-Why are you attacking me?
-Answer the question.
Why did you only think there
were four boys in that boat?
-Because the next time I saw
them, there were only four.
-And when was that?
-When I got on to the scarab.
It was tied to the dock.
I didn't see the boy
in the cowboy hat.
-You didn't see him or you
don't remember seeing him?
-I didn't see him.
-Did you wonder what
maybe happened to him?
-No.
-Did the thought even cross your mind?
-Look, I didn't think
about it, I didn't know
He was gonna die.
-Is that why that
boy died, caroline,
Because you were not thinking?
Caroline, what was
going through your mind?
-Save me, ma'am. I'm drunk
in my suds. Please help me.
-Steve: caroline.
-Save me. [Laughs]
-Steve: caroline.
-You don't remember him?
How could you forget?
[Laughing]
[Dramatic music]
[Melancholy music]
-$500,000?
This isn't a settlement.
It's a surrender.
-The county will
pay the full amount.
Nothing will come out
of caroline's pocket.
-Well, I find it hard to
believe this is the best
That you can do.
-The board of supervisors
is worried about a jury
Awarding the full amount.
They do not want to part
with two million dollars
Of tax payers' money.
-I thought you said
we had a good case.
-We do, as long as caroline
isn't called to testify.
We could not even get through
a preliminary interview.
She'll never hold up
on the witness stand.
-Isn't that your job?
Aren't you supposed
to prepare her for that?
-I can prepare her until
we are both blue in the face,
But if she still blames
herself for that boy's death,
It's going to come out
in her testimony.
Believe me, I know
the opposing attorney.
She'll eat her alive.
-They've agreed to this?
-No, not yet.
Cowboy's mom is still
demanding that caroline
Be dismissed from
the department.
Believe it or not, the
money is secondary to her.
-So they just
want her to suffer.
What is this,
a personal vendetta?
[Phone ringing]
-excuse me.
Hello. Yeah, put her through.
It's
the plaintiff's attorney.
Ellen, hello.
So do we have a deal?
[Breathing heavily]
-Hi, caroline.
-Hey.
-I'm really sorry about
the ringer they're putting
You through on this.
If there's anything I can do.
-Thanks.
You heard something.
-They couldn't
reach a settlement.
-I knew I was going
to have to go to court.
-You are not going
to court. Not yet anyway.
Now the plaintiff has
agreed to take the case
To arbitration.
Now if everyone accepts
the arbitrator's ruling,
Then that will be it,
his decision is final.
-Come on, what
difference does it make?
Either way,
I'm still on trial.
[Melancholy music]
-Well, how long
have you been up?
-I've hardly slept.
-Oh, you poor thing.
This is so unfair.
-They should be treating you
like a hero, not a criminal.
This system is so screwed up,
I could scream.
-Probably won't be
such a good idea.
Might wake the neighbors.
[Laughing]
-Geez, how long is cody
going to be in there?
-Oh, I'm sorry,
he told me to tell you that
He went mountain bike
riding and that he had some
Meeting with a sports agent.
What is that about?
-Oh.
They want him to
be a professional
mountain bike racer.
-Oh. [Laughs]
Wouldn't that make
him travel a lot?
-Yeah, but it's
probably just as well.
I think cody and I have
come to the end of our road.
-What? What are
you talking about?
-I don't know, I don't
know what's come over me.
All I can think about
is having a baby.
I have all these maternal
feelings and I have
No way to express them except
For when
I'm babysitting james.
Which reminds me, I'm looking
after him this morning.
-Oh, that's okay.
Listen, have you talked to
cody about starting a family?
-He's not ready.
He's out there looking
for action and adventure.
He's not ready to settle down.
Which is perfectly
understandable, I mean,
That's just the way he is.
I don't know how much
longer I can wait.
My biological clock is ticking.
-[Laughs] oh, c.j.,
I'm pretty sure that got
A couple of ticks
left in you.
-Oh, I'm sorry,
I shouldn't be bothering you
With all my stupid problems.
You have enough on your mind.
-Oh, no, that's okay.
I mean, what are friends for?
Besides, it's kind of nice
to know there's somebody
Out there who's as
depressed as I am.
[Laughing]
-Let's go eat something.
[Soft music]
♪ I've been
♪ Waiting for the time to pass
♪ Staring at the hour glass
♪ Ooh
♪ Hoping
♪ For what my future holds
♪ Can't help but want more
♪ Ooh
♪ Thinking of you feels like a dream
♪ The futures closer than it seems
♪ There's something in the way
♪ you make me feel
♪ There's something bout the way I know
♪ Inside it feels so real
♪ Won't spend time wishing on the stars
♪ Cause I know someday
♪ I'll feel you in my arms
♪ Someday I'll feel you in my arms
♪ Someday I'll feel you in my arms
-Caroline, you can either
keep feeling sorry for yourself
Or you can start helping
me prepare your defense.
It's your choice.
-What do you think
our chances are?
-Honestly, it
could go either way.
-Good. That's encouraging.
-I would feel
a lot more confident
If I had your cooperation.
I might even be
able to help you.
-Well, maybe
I don't want your help.
Maybe I don't deserve
to be out there.
-You really believe that?
-I don't know.
-I never knew your sister,
but I sure heard a lot
About her when I was
working down in south bay.
She was like a living
legend down there.
The name stephanie
holden was synonymous
With pride and guts and courage.
Most importantly
professionalism.
I'm just really sorry it
doesn't run in the family.
If you decide you want
to stand up and fight,
Not just for yourself,
But for
every lifeguard out there,
You can reach me
at my office.
-Steve?
I know that I did all
I could to save those boys.
I don't think
I deserve to be punished.
-Neither do i, but we still
have to convince an arbitrator.
-I'll do the best
that I can.
[Melancholy music]
-Good morning,
ladies and gentlemen.
I'm judge william lang
and I'll be arbitrating
These proceedings today.
So, ms. Douglas,
if you are ready,
You may proceed with
your first witness.
-Mrs. O'hara, how old
was your son thomas
When he died?
-Nineteen.
-Nineteen years old.
Still living at home?
-Yes, he was
trying to save money
To go to college.
He wanted to be a teacher.
He loved children.
-His friends called
him cowboy, didn't they?
-Yeah, well, I had
given him a cowboy hat
For his last birthday.
It seemed like he
never took it off.
-When you were first
informed of your son's death,
You were told it
was an accident.
-Yes, an accidental drowning.
-And you had no intention
of suing the county
Or the lifeguards
for wrongful death.
-I took their word for it.
-What made you
change your mind?
-I saw a copy
of the transcript
Of the debriefing they
held after the incident.
-A document in which
caroline holden clearly states
And I quote, "I should've
known, they went past me
"In the marina, I saw them.
"He wore a cowboy hat on
a boat. He flirted with me.
I shouldn't have
forgotten him."
End quote.
-She knew my son
was on that boat.
And she may have
saved the others,
But she let him die.
-It's in this paragraph.
-Uh-huh, perfect, great.
-When you first arrived
on the scene in your boat,
Where was caroline holden?
-In the water.
She had secured two victims
To her rescue can and
was diving for a third.
[Dramatic music]
-Help!
-I saw someone go
down over there.
-Caroline: okay.
-Ellen: and you found
no fault with her efforts?
-She was acting
exactly according to
lifeguard procedure.
-Has it always been
that way with ms. Holden?
Or has she had problems
carrying out her duties
In the past?
-I don't know what
you're referring to.
-I have here a series of
incident reports in which
Either you or one of your
colleagues criticized
The defendant's performance
and question her competence.
-Maybe when she first
started at baywatch.
It takes awhile for
rookies to learn the ropes.
But on the night in question,
caroline did everything
She could to save
those boys' lives.
-Lieutenant buchannon,
you conducted an inquiry
Into the death of
thomas edward o'hara.
What were you able
to determine?
-Given the circumstances,
the boat was on fire,
Multiple rescues in the
water, the condition
Of the victims, that the
lifeguards' efforts were nothing
Short of miraculous.
-Were you the only officer
to sign off on a report
Which exonerated
ms. Holden of any wrong doing?
-No.
-Was the officer
lieutenant stephanie holden?
-Yes.
-Caroline holden's sister?
-Yes, but if you're implying
that lieutenant stephanie
Holden lied to prevent--
-Thank you, mr. Buchannon.
No further questions.
-Lieutenant buchannon.
You stated in your review that
the victim's blood alcohol
Level was 1.9.
-The coroner stated that
the boy was legally drunk
At the time of his death.
-I imagine that made it
difficult to swim.
-That much alcohol would
make it very difficult
To walk let alone swim.
-Objection.
-Sustained.
-Let me rephrase
the question.
In your experience as
a lifeguard, have you found
That excessive consumption
of alcohol can impede
A person's ability to swim?
-Absolutely.
If that boy had been
able to stay afloat,
I guarantee you one of my
lifeguards would've rescued him.
-Is it fair to say that you
had difficulty in dealing
With thomas o'hara's death?
-I suffered post
traumatic stress, yes.
-Which included excessive
drinking, staying out all night,
Failing to pass a lifeguard
recheck and ultimately
Quitting your job
at baywatch.
-But fortunately I was able
to recover and return to work.
-Ms. Holden, when was the
first time you saw the boat
With the five boys on it?
-Earlier that afternoon.
-And then again in the
evening as you were preparing
For night patrol,
is that correct?
-Yes.
-It's illegal to drive
a water craft while
Under the influence of
alcohol, isn't it, ms. Holden?
-Yes.
-Yet you made no attempt
to stop those boys
Or to confiscate
their beer.
Even though as a lifeguard,
you had the authority to do so.
-Come on, guys, put
away the beer, all right?
We're gonna have
to confiscate it.
-Save me, ma'am,
I'm drowning in my suds.
Please, help me, save me.
-I told them that they
shouldn't go out on that boat.
-Oh, and what was
their response?
-They paid
no attention to me.
-So, you let them go,
even though you suspected
That they were intoxicated
and might endanger
Themselves
or other boaters.
So, perhaps this senseless
tragedy might never
Have occurred if you hadn't
neglected to enforce the law.
-Objection, the defendant is
not a law enforcement officer.
-Overruled, it was within
her jurisdiction to take
Whatever action
she deemed appropriate.
-It's not surprising
given your lax attitude.
You failed to remember
that thomas o'hara
Was on board the
boat that night.
-I didn't see him
that night.
-And that's why
he died, isn't it?
-Steve: objection.
-Sustained.
-No further questions.
-Your honor, at this
time I would like to move
The proceedings out
into the marina.
-Are there any objections?
-I think we could all
use a breath of fresh air.
[Somber music]
-When the police
interviewed the survivors,
The boys said that cowboy
was passed out on the deck
Of the boat, was that correct?
-Yes.
-So there is no way
you could've seen him
Or even known he
was on that boat.
-That's right.
-Objection, your honor.
That hasn't been established as fact.
-Your honor, I intend
to establish that here now.
-Please, continue.
-This is where caroline
was docked when she observed
The boys headed out the channel.
What you're seeing here is
exactly what she saw that night.
That boat is the
same make and model
As the one that
caught fire and burnt.
Mrs. O'hara, how
many boys do you see?
-Rose, you don't have
to answer that question.
-I see four.
-Chris?
[Boys shouting]
-Hey, guys, why don't
you call it a day, huh?
[Boys shouting]
-As you can see with your
own eyes, mrs. O'hara,
Caroline holden could not
have known that your son
Was passed out on the
deck of that boat.
To hold her liable for
his death would be wrong.
-Man:
two weeks and...
-Okay.
-Judge: sorry.
-Okay, thank you.
Bye.
-Well, that's it, the
arbitrator will have a written
Decision in about two weeks.
-Two weeks?
You mean I have
to have this thing hanging
Over my head for
another two weeks?
-What can I say? The wheels
of justice turn slowly.
-That was a brilliant
tactical maneuver
Getting everyone
on this scarab.
Well done, councilor.
-Thank you, captain,
but let's hold the applause
Until we see how
effective it was.
-I...
I just wanted
to tell you that i,
I've decided
to drop my lawsuit.
-Rose, I strongly advise
you against doing that.
-You were the one who
pushed me into this.
I never wanted
to sue anyone.
I don't care
about the money.
I guess i...
I needed to blame someone.
Maybe I was blinded
by my anger, or I don't know,
I don't know.
I'm sorry I put you
through this ordeal.
-Mrs. O'hara,
it's okay, and I don't know
If this is going to make
you feel any better,
But not a day has gone
by since your son's death
That I haven't
thought about him.
And nothing that was said today
will ever, ever change that.
He'll always be on my mind.
[Triumphant music]
[Laughing]
[Closing theme playing]
07x20 - Baywatch at Sea World
Watch/Buy Amazon Merchandise
Revolves around a team of lifeguards and their personal relationships along with the dangers of the ocean.
Revolves around a team of lifeguards and their personal relationships along with the dangers of the ocean.