The Australian Navy’s non-fraternisation rules for crew members lead to a gut wrenching climax when one of the Hammersley’s favourite sons faces the horror of an underwater amputation.
As they share a flirtatious encounter on deck, unrequited lovers, ET (David Lyons) and Nikki (Saskia Burmeister) are unaware they are being watched by fisheries inspector, Campbell Fulton (Andrew Buchanan).
He has already been described as “a loose canon”, and demonstrates that in an ugly scene where he enters Nikki’s cabin, threatens to report her interlude with ET, then subjects her to a sexual assault.
Nikki’s distress is compounded by the fact that Fulton was a member of a boarding party that dealt with a fishing vessel suspected of carrying the Asian flu virus.
She confides in Kate (Lisa McCune) that she should be quarantined with the rest of the boarding party because of the unwelcome contact with Fulton.
Unaware of the assault, CO Mike Flynn (Ian Stenlake) assigns Fulton and ET to take the disease carrying fishing vessel to a safe mooring.
It’s a pairing that leads to a violent fight between the two men, after Fulton rudely quizzes ET about his “sex life” with Nikki.
When Fulton pushes ET into the rancid hold of the vessel ET becomes trapped by the legs under a heavy barrel.
The damaged vessel is taking water and the hold is filling quickly.
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