Shelly Sands, C.J.'s eccentric mother and former Vegas showgirl, arrives in town from Las Vegas seeking C.J.'s help to escape her mobster ex-boyfriend, Tony Blanton, and his goons. Blanton is determined to retrieve an incriminating computer disk of his gambling profits and income tax evasion schemes that Shelly stole as part of an insurance policy. When Blanton and his men hold C.J. and Shelly hostage on a remote beach, they force C.J. to look for the disk. But Mitch and Cody figure out what's going on in time to rescue them.

Donna poses nude in Playboy magazine, which causes controversy and divides the Baywatch lifeguards, including Mitch and Samantha. Donna gets suspended. En route to a survival training weekend, Mitch and Caroline chaperon a bus trip of teenage junior lifeguards, including Manny, who is feuding with another junior lifeguard, Brice, over dating Brice's former girlfriend. But an earthquake strikes and triggers a rock slide, burring the bus in a road tunnel cave-in. With the air supply running out, Mitch tries to dig his way out while Samantha, Cody, and Donna try to rescue them.