15-year-old Emma Hanson runs away from her home after having another blow out with her mother. With the help of her brave dog, she finds her way to the Marina on Kangaroo Island - South Australia, where she hides out on her father's sailboat until things cool down at home. However, her father, Peter, returns to his sailboat unexpectedly, with the aim to sail to an Indonesian island to stash the gold he and his mining partner, Johnnie, have claimed. Emma and her dog hide below deck as they sail out, fearing repercussions from her father for hiding in his boat.Things take a drastic turn as Peter and his partner get into a drunken altercation and Johnnie kills him and dumps his body overboard. Emma witnesses the murder and when Johnnie falls asleep, she grabs supplies and her dog and sneaks onto the skiff that is in tow. Now lost at sea, with little experience and supplies, Emma must brace herself against the elements and her own demons and prays that she will be rescued. But when she washes up on an Indonesian island, she faces new challenges against the harsh tropical conditions. There is more to the island than meets the eye as Emma soon learns and must hide from human traffickers as they smuggle children into Australia. Through it all her dog Cozzie stays with her and fights to protect her. But with dangerous criminals and no way off the island, how will she survive and return home?