Dr. Sabine Petersen, pilot Jens Blank, on-board mechanic Jan Wollcke and rescue assistant Johannes von Storkow all arrive bright and early on Monday morning, ready to start work. Sabine spent the weekend at a beauty farm, recovering from her separation from Colonel Brandt. Jens Blank has just been taking part in an autorotation exercise where he was able to demonstrate his outstanding reactions and flying skills. In fact, everyone on the team is ready for whatever the next mission might bring. And in a big city like Hamburg, they don't have to wait long.
An attractive woman called Claudia surprised an intruder in her up-market villa and managed to put him out of action with a skilful kung fu strike. Not until she takes a closer look at the unconscious man on the floor does she realise it's her ex-husband, Paul. Sabine establishes that he is suffering from severe concussion, and the SAR 71 helicopter quickly flies the patient to hospital.
In the meantime, Colonel Brandt’s adjutant has informed the staff of the Rescue Centre that the colonel will soon be arriving for a visit. Sabine actually seems less troubled by this prospect than Blank and Wollcke, who thoroughly detest their boss. But before they can discuss the matter further, the alarm bell rings again. A young couple called Jessica and Mark were taking part in an illegal car race in the port area of Hamburg, and they managed to smash through the quay wall. Their friend Luke is trying desperately to help them. When the SAR 71 reaches the scene of the accident, Mark is being helped out of the wreck. But it is too late to help Jessica, who dies before she can be taken to hospital.
When our team gets back to the Rescue Centre, Brandt is showing an attractive blonde around the place: Anne Niemann is the daughter of a general, and Blank and Wollcke are convinced Brandt is doing this in order to provoke Sabine. But the doctor is too preoccupied by the fact that she has just lost a patient. When the team gets back to the hospital with the next patient - a projectionist who suffered an accident - Sabine is horrified to see Mark on the roof of the hospital: he's so tormented by the knowledge that he caused his girlfriend's death that he is determined to end his own life. Now she has to apply all her skills and sensitivity to the task of persuading the young man not to jump.
