Eckerd's Student Rescue Crew Gets $364,811 to Fix Boats and Docks

Eckerd College's student-run search and rescue team is getting $364,811 from the state to replace engines, patch hulls and rebuild dock pilings that keep its rescue boats on the water. State Rep. Linda Chaney presented the check at the college's St. Petersburg waterfront on Sept. 25, money that matters to anyone who boats, paddles or swims off Pinellas beaches, since this is the crew that answers when things go wrong out there.

Eckerd College Search and Rescue, known as EC-SAR, is the only college-based maritime search and rescue program in the country. Roughly 64 trained student volunteers work alongside the U.S. Coast Guard and local 911 emergency response to handle more than 400 maritime distress calls a year in the waters around Pinellas County.

Chaney advocated for the appropriation through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and Gov. Ron DeSantis signed off on it as part of the state's 2026-27 budget. The funding is earmarked for equipment and dock improvements: new engines, hull repairs, and work on the pilings that hold up EC-SAR's dock at the Eckerd waterfront.

Eckerd President James Annarelli called it extraordinary support for an extraordinary program, thanking Chaney and DeSantis for backing what he described as a team that embodies the college's focus on leadership and service. Chaney toured the docks during her visit and spoke with students about what drew them to the program.

One of them, junior marine science student Naomi Attar of Ormond Beach, said EC-SAR was the reason she chose Eckerd. She had no boating experience before arriving on campus and is now working toward her captain's license.

The state budget line moved through the Florida House and Senate before landing on the governor's desk for final approval. For EC-SAR, aging boats and a weathered dock have been an operational concern for a team that gets called out at all hours to help boaters in distress, missing paddlers, and swimmers pulled by currents around Pinellas beaches and Tampa Bay.

Eckerd has not said when the equipment work will begin or how long the dock repairs are expected to take.

For more Pinellas County news, visit Pinellas County Community Website or follow along on Facebook. Got thoughts on this story? Join the conversation in our Community Forum, and check out more public safety stories from around the county.