provided to The Santiva Chronicle
Thanks to an $8,500 donation from Bank of the Islands, the Sanibel Fire and Rescue District will now be able to purchase a much-needed second rescue boat. Capable of being hauled by a truck trailer or driven through shallow waters, the boat will be housed at Station 172 on the San-Cap Road corridor near Bowman’s Beach.
The light-duty boat is ideal for the mangrove shorelines, inland waterways, and canals that define Sanibel.
“Chief Barbot has said this boat will save lives and we couldn’t agree more,” said Bank of the Islands CEO Geoff Roepstorff. “We are seeing more and more residents and visitors coming to enjoy our island life. The faster our great first responders can help, the better off our community will be. This second boat will go a long way in ensuring safe and rapid responses to water emergencies.”
The ability to acquire a second boat will tie in well with an intensive weeklong Water Rescue Specialist Course recently completed by District crew members. They gained public safety knowledge essential for honing surf water, flood water, and advanced surface water rescue techniques.
Like the rescue boat already located at Station 171 on Palm Ridge Road, the new vessel will also play a regional role. As part of MERT – the Marine Emergency Response Team – trained Sanibel crew members will be able to assist in water rescues in other coastal communities including Fort Myers Beach, Iona-McGregor, and Cape Coral.
“This new boat will be a tremendous asset for first responders as they provide life-saving assistance on Sanibel and throughout Lee County,” said Roepstorff.
Bank of the Islands encourages island residents and visitors wishing to join in supporting the Fire and Rescue District to visit the On Island store at 2340 Periwinkle Way on Sanibel. The On Island owners have played a leadership role in this effort by contributing t-shirt sales proceeds towards support for the District. To learn more, please contact On Island at 866-726-4235 or http://www.onislandsanibel.com.
As the oldest locally owned and managed community bank in Lee County, Bank of the Islands is proud to be the winner of more than 50 “Best of the Islands” awards. We’re especially honored to be voted Best Bank, Best Financial Services, and Best Mortgage Broker for 2025-2026. The Bank has retained a 5-Star Superior Rating from BauerFinancial for more than a decade. The Sanibel office of Bank of the Islands is located at 1699 Periwinkle Way, at the corner of Casa Ybel Road. The Captiva office is at 14812 Captiva Drive, next to the Captiva Post Office. To learn more, visit http://www.bankoftheislands.com
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