His dad, Porter (Brian Kelly), widowed since the prior film, returns from park ranger school to search for Sandy but doesn't realize his son has fled in their skiff motorboat to the Bahamas.

Just as Sandy is establishing himself with food and fresh water on the island, and has found a cave to hide from aerial search patrols, he witnesses the holidaying British family of Sir Halsey Hopewell (Tom Helmore) being taken hostage by recently escaped convicts.

The mother, Julia (Helen Cherry) and two daughters Gwen (Francesca Annis) and Penny (Pamela Franklin), are forced into a small boat and told to row to the nearby island where Sandy is hiding.

Sandy shows Penny how to cut down and husk coconuts, light fires, and weave fish nets.

Soon after, the convicts come back for the mother and daughters, and Mr. Hopewell is made to radio the nearest Coast Guard station in Puerto Rico that he and his family are hostages.