A strange storage container washed ashore, a baffling illness breakout and several shock collapses all rock Summer Bay this week, as Home And Away plunges into a mystery worthy of an episode of The X-Files!

The intrigue begins when lifeguards John (Shane Withington) and Dana (Ally Harris) discover unusual debris washed up on the beach during their shift. 

While his first reaction is to assume someone has dumped all their rubbish on the sand, John starts to think it might be something more sinister and alerts the authorities.

“When the authorities don’t seem concerned, he’s prepared to just remove it,” Shane, 65, tells TV WEEK

However, when Dana manages to prise open the peculiar vessel, the pair are repelled by the stench… and then, John slumps to the sand!

What’s inside the container? And did it cause John to collapse?

“His first thoughts are for Dana,” Shane says of the moments after John collapses. “But then he’s concerned that an illness might afflict the community.”

His fears are confirmed when other residents suddenly start fainting, and John is forced to reckon not only with his own mortality, but the idea that the arrival of the container may be the start of a sickening plot to take down the Bay.

“As John gets sicker, he begins to think that this disease could be the end of him,” Shane says.

Will John – and the other residents of the Bay – be OK?