An Introduction to Eckerd College’s Search and Rescue Program (EC-SAR)

Ever wonder how stranded boaters in our area get rescued from life-threatening situations? Who are those brave people that put themselves in harm’s way when a distress call comes from someone out on the water? And how do they know what to do, when to do it, and how to do it? These questions are especially perplexing when those responding to the call for help are Eckerd students instead of paid professionals.
EC-SAR is a year-round, 24/7 volunteer, maritime aid organization almost exclusively staffed by undergraduate students at Eckerd College. No co-curricular program like this one exists at any other educational institution in the U.S. Founded in 1971 in an effort to provide safety services for the College’s watersports activities, the program now responds to more than 500 maritime distress calls annually in the Tampa Bay area and adjacent waterways. In fact, the team was one of the first rescue units to respond to the Sunshine Skyway Bridge collapse in May 1980.

Join us for an exclusive OLLI tour and introduction to Eckerd’s Search and Rescue Program. *100% of the program fees will go directly to support the EC-SAR program.