A coming of age story based in the 1950s on the Staten Island, NY shore. A band of teenagers, The Barefoot Boys, patrol the waters of Raritan Bay and Wolf's Pond Park in their three boats. The Barefoot Boys assume responsibility for correcting and punishing all manner of injustices within their realm.

Less than one quarter mile from Belle Drive, seven Barefoot Boys are paddling their boat. About fifty-feet away, lifeguards are raking the beach. The temperature is 107 degrees, and the humidity is close to 100 percent. All the lifeguards are, due to circumstances beyond their control, thirsty almost beyond belief.

Sweat poured from their bodies, and their tanned skin burned. The beach baked in the sun and the lifeguards along with it.

Bob, the youngest Barefoot Boy, called out "Pass the ice water over here." This was a casual request for something the lifeguards could only dream about. Enraged, every one of them began to throw stones at the Barefoot Boys. Indeed, a barrage of stones fell upon them. This was a savage attack delivered with no apparent concern or thought of serious injury.

Would the Barefoot Boys accept this insult? By day's end, one lifeguard would be killed by a shark and two others presumed drowned.

The Barefoot Boys would definitely counterattack, but so would the lifeguards.