Washed ashore in the wilderness of the Pacific Northwest after a storm at sea separates him from his father, 16-year-old Angus McCormick has only his wiles and a trusted canine friend with which to survive.
When John and Catherine McCormick relocate from Vancouver to the coast of British Columbia, sailor John teaches his sons Angus and Silas basic boating and outdoor survival skills. Angus finds a stray Golden Labrador, calls him Yellow and insists he be part of the family, although his parents can't make up their mind whether Angus is responsible enough. All this changes when John takes Angus and Yellow sailing and a sudden gale knocks both the boy and his dog overboard. The pair wash up on a remote coastal region, where Angus' abilities to survive in the wild are tested. As Angus and Yellow fend off wild animals, build a shelter, and signal for help, John and Catherine work with the Coast Guard in a desperate search for their missing child.