Rescue Special Operations

S03:E18 - Missing Pieces

The Rescue unit attend an MVA involving one Helen Hillerstrom, who reveals her son, Oscar, is missing in the Blue Mountains. The name Hillerstrom haunts Vince - he was in charge of a failed search for Oscar’s father Patrick Hillerstrom, who disappeared without a trace ten years ago. Vince takes two teams to the mountains to locate the son. It’s Zoe’s birthday, and Dean’s planned romance. But thanks to Vince’s crusade to the mountains, it’s all called off. Things get worse when Zoe’s ex Brad suddenly arrives at the front door. Dean can see there’s still a lot of unresolved feelings between them, but he tries not to be worried. Despite the Search Commander ordering Vince to send his teams along a ridgeline, Vince defies his orders. Lachie, Chase, Heidi and Jordan, out searching, are surprised when Michelle radios through, furious, and orders them back to where they should be. Vince encounters Helen Hillerstrom, who still holds him accountable for her husband’s disappearance. He promises to find her son, and goes alone into the area he believes Oscar is in. Meanwhile, back at the stationhouse, Zoe turns up unannounced to attempt a romantic birthday lunch, but talk turns to Brad, and soon Zoe and Dean are fighting. She leaves, and despite Lara exhorting Dean to make things right, he doesn’t. Later Noah calls Dean, saying his father needs rescuing. When Dean and Lara arrive they find Brad with his arm stuck in the kitchen sink waste disposal. Annoyed, Dean must help his enemy, and watch when Zoe returns and runs to her ex-husband. In the mountains, Vince thinks he has found Oscar, but it turns out to be his father Patrick – who faked his own death. They reach a wary partnership to try to find Oscar – and Patrick opens up about the pain his decision all those years ago has brought him. They find Oscar, injured and hypothermic, close to death. The other rescue teams converge to save Oscar, but Patrick mortally injures himself. Vince is redeemed in having found Patrick after all this time and saved Oscar, but it is a Pyrrhic victory, as he’s unable to save Patrick’s life. Dean goes to Zoe to work things out, but sees how happy she is with Brad back, and instead walks away.