Daniel isn't all that sure why he was chosen to go on an outdoor experience trip with four other students from the brand new middle school he will be attending, but he's glad to get a break from his responsibilities at home. Project Future Leaders also includes Mia; a quiet and studious girl, Imani; who says very little in order to keep her identity a secret, Deke; a monumental jerk; and Tony, a boy who just follows along with Deke's behavior. Their leaders are Sky, who runs white water rafting trips in Montana, and Cindi Beacon, a famous soccer player. Early on, they run into snags. The river they were originally going to travel was too shallow, so they head 100 miles over to the Crazy, and the satellite phone the leaders have isn't working. They start off in rafts, and it's an interesting trip for children from New Hampshire. Of course, things don't go smoothly for long, and when a local dam breaks, things become truly treacherous. Sky and Cindi are both swept away in the waters after getting the students to safely, and leaving them with a back pack of supplies. From the beginning, Deke is a self serving jerk who doesn't want to follow Mia's plan to conserve food, since he is sure they will be saved soon. This ends in one tragedy, and Imani, Mia and Daniel have to use their strategies not only to confront mountain lions, bears, torrential rains, and a lack of supplies, but also to keep Deke from being a danger to himself and others. When they find Cindi badly injured, Deke does step up to carry her, but will the group be able to locate help in time?