Next week, Nikau Parata from Home and Away will be in a challenging situation on UK television because his most recent rescue had unintended effects.
Nikau has started working as a hired lifeguard for Summer Bay, watching out for swimmers and surfers at the neighbourhood beach.
In the programmes airing on Channel 5 the following week, Nikau speaks on the phone with his lover Bella Nixon to learn about her exploits in New York. His lifeguard radio soon interrupts him, though.
Nikau rushes off to help the distressed swimmer after learning that there is one at the beach.
Nikau takes charge of an emergency mission as he gets into the beach’s rescue boat to look for the swimmer, who has vanished underwater, with the assistance of a group of his fellow lifeguards.
John Palmer keeps the missing woman’s sister Naomi calm on the beach while Nikau is at work.
Nikau is able to dive in and pull the swimmer to safety when the swimmer’s head briefly surfaced before submerging again.
Nikau returns the now-dead woman to shore, where John and he start CPR.
When the woman begins to breathe normally once more, everyone is relieved, and Nikau quickly gains the most of the credit for saving her life.
The next day, Naomi visits Nikau to express her gratitude for saving her sister.
Nikau is similarly surprised when Naomi offers to take him out for a lunchtime thank-you.
Nikau graciously rejects since he is thinking about Bella, but John steps in and accepts the invitation in Nikau’s place.
John informs Nikau that Naomi may be seeking closure following the upsetting event.
John advises Nikau to calm down and think of it as part of his obligations rather than worrying that it would be mistaken for a date. But is this truly the best course of action?
