In the summer of 1965, the USS Frank Knox, a destroyer, radar picket ship, on its way from Vietnam to Hong Kong for a much anticipated liberty, ran aground on a reef. Officers and crew must work together to find a way to free the ship, but complications ensue when a body is found after the grounding. The murder investigation complicates the backbreaking efforts that the crew must endure to salvage their ship. A young signalman and an experienced CID investigator work together to solve the murder, amid the chaos and danger of the dying vessel. A massive salvage operation was put into motion to rescue the ship, bringing an enormous task force of ships from the U.S. Seventh Fleet to assist in the effort. New techniques were developed that would be used in the years following the incident, demonstrating the dedication and ingenuity of U.S. naval forces.