When the survivors are rescued and reach land, the Skipper is put on trial, with Frank's powerful parents leading the call for his license to be revoked. Eventually the Skipper refuses to allow anyone else to be blamed for the disaster, and accepts responsibility, but his former students all stand up for him, and Frank turns against his bullying parents to support the Skipper, as all the boys embrace him. The end credits explain that in reality six people died in total (four students) and dedicates the film to them.