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Eckerd College search and rescue team earns $364,000 state grant

By
FOX 13 News
St. Petersburg
Published September 28, 2026 10:13 PM EDT
Published September 28, 2026 10:13 PM EDT

The Brief

    • Eckerd College's student search and rescue team has been responding to calls on the water for 55 years.
    • A new $364,000 state grant will help cover fuel, boat upgrades and dock improvements.
    • The funding will reduce the team's reliance on donations and fundraising while helping its 64 student volunteers continue responding to emergencies.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - For more than five decades, Eckerd College students have volunteered their time to help boaters in distress across the Tampa Bay area. Now, a new $364,000 state grant is helping ensure the student-run search and rescue operation can continue that mission with updated boats and infrastructure.

Tampa Bay search team

Dig deeper:

The Eckerd College Search and Rescue team (EC-SAR) was established in 1971. The team currently has 64 student volunteers, studying everything from marine science and animal studies to political science.

The students are not paid and do not receive class credit for their work.

They work alongside the Coast Guard and fire departments, responding to about 400 distress calls each year. Those calls can range from routine boat assists and fuel transfers to water rescues, searches, boat fires and sinking vessels.

The team has also recently begun assisting the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission with manatee and other animal rescues.

Funding rescue operations

Why you should care:

The state funding will help cover several costs associated with keeping the rescue operation running, including:

  • Fuel for the year
  • New engines for multiple rescue boats
  • Dock improvements
  • Boat lifts
  • Replacement dock pilings
  • Water mains and electrical improvements

Upgrading student equipment

What they're saying:

The team's Dock 4 houses five rescue boats and a drill boat when it's in the water. Maintenance and Operations Supervisor Leila Koenig said the improvements will help keep the boats and equipment operational without relying as heavily on fundraising and donations.

EC-SAR volunteers depend on their boats and equipment to respond when someone needs help on the water. Eckerd senior and EC-SAR boat driver and watch leader Will Seedorf said having updated equipment is a game changer. 

"Not always having to worry about, you know… this breaking because of environmental corrosion and things like that. All those sorts of things are things that we have to always think about," he said.

With more reliable boats and infrastructure, students say th

Timeline of improvements

What's next:

The exact timeline for the improvements is still unclear, but the work is expected to take place sometime during the current school year.

The Source: FOX 13 spoke with Eckerd College Search and Rescue team members and staff about the team's history, operations and the impact of the new state grant.

St. Petersburg