By Heather Bennett Eye
The past year for Justine and Joey Sauvageau has been one of both heartache and reward. They started their nonprofit, Emerald Coast United, last year to assist with search and rescue, and disaster relief efforts along the Panhandle and in nearby states. While they’ve been a blessing to many, the organization was created out of personal loss.
Their close friend and diver, Jeremy Carmical, went missing September 22, 2024, while spearfishing in Destin. With Hurricane Helene closing in on the Gulf, and Destin still in the range of impact zones, every minute in the search counted. Once Justine and Joey found out Jeremy was missing, they were able to assist in organizing search and rescue efforts. A collective group rallied approximately 45 boats together over the span of the two-day search and they became points of contact for the United Cajun Navy.
Volunteers were able to recover Jeremy two days later, just before Hurricane Helene made landfall in the Big Bend area, east of Destin. Although it wasn’t the outcome they hoped for, Justine and Joey felt peace knowing they could help bring closure to Jeremy’s family. “The community supported us in ways I never thought possible,” said Justine. “I’m extremely thankful.”
After assisting in the rescue efforts for Jeremy, and working closely with Justine and Joey, the United Cajun Navy urged them to start their own nonprofit to assist in future efforts along the panhandle. Jeremy’s mother, Michelle Carmical, also encouraged them to follow their calling to help others.
Along with Justine and Joey, Emerald Coast United is led by Shelby Harkins, John Brown, Cara Teeter and Jana Ramsey. They bridge a gap between law enforcement and volunteers and are an asset to the United Cajun Navy and other out-of-town volunteers, helping them navigate the area. They have a strong working relationship with the United Cajun Navy, who assists them in searches when they need more resources. “It’s nice that it’s not up to one organization. It nice to have the collaboration and access to resources as needed,” stated Justine.
Emerald Coast United has assisted with several search and rescue efforts in the area. Bret Valona, a U.S. Marine veteran, went missing in the Blue Mountain Beach/Point Washington State Forest area after being dropped off at the Eastern Lake Trailhead, where he planned to spend several weeks in the forest. Although extensive canvassing of the area was carried out, his location remains unknown. Early March is when his phone was last known to be in service. He was last seen wearing a plaid shirt, cargo pants, a yellow raincoat, brown hiker boots, and carrying two backpacks. If you have any information, please contact the Walton County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 892-8111.
Their most recent search and rescue effort was for Trinity Eslinger, a search that greatly affected the entire Florida Panhandle and surrounding areas. The United Cajun Navy assisted in the search effort, bringing in resources such as search and recovery K9s, helicopters, boats, search spotter aircraft that fly above the spotter choppers, and drones that fly lower, scanning the water, looking under docks. Their resources provided multi-layered details to the search area.
Emerald Coast United and the United Cajun Navy continued to search for Trinity after the Okaloosa Sheriff’s office and Coast Guard made the decision to scale back their resources. As long as Mother Nature is cooperative and they have resources, Emerald Coast United will continue search efforts when local officials need to pull back. “It took a village to help look for Trinity. Unfortunately, we came up empty-handed, but it wasn’t for lack of effort,” said Justine. “I wish we were able to provide that closure for the family.”
Accidents happen to even the most prepared and knowledgeable people on the water, as Jeremy’s friends and family know too well, but continuing to educate and remind people could make a big difference. Justine suggests that locals and tourists alike pay attention to the water conditions and educate themselves on water safety. “People don’t realize how dangerous the water is,” stated Justine.
One suggestion is that more information be available for those coming in from out of town. “The biggest thing we need to do as a community is we need to teach people what a rip tide looks like and what to do during a rip tide,” said Justine. “If every property management company around here could have a laminated flyer in their houses, it would be beneficial for our area to get them in the hands of all these wonderful people visiting.”
Other safety resources include looking at surf conditions on local beach cams, or texting one of the beach alert system numbers (Panama City Beach – Text “PCBFLAGS” to 888777, Destin/Fort Walton Beach/Okaloosa Island – Text “BEACH” to 44144, Walton County – Text “SAFETY” to 31279). In response to recent water emergencies, Bailey Brooks started the new nonprofit, Safe on the Emerald Coast. On their Facebook page, you can find water safety tips and other relatable content.
In addition to search and rescue on the water, Emerald Coast United and the United Cajun Navy also helped with post-hurricane disaster relief. Immediately after Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, they began organizing donation stations with fire departments and volunteers across the panhandle and were able to fill 10 semis full of essential items to send to storm victims throughout the affected areas. The United Cajun Navy was able to assist in rescue operations in the affected areas and help with the distribution of donations and essential supplies.
Emerald Coast United is gearing up for hurricane season again, preparing to be ready to assist with post-storm recovery and assistance as needed. Getting essential items to storm victims is a vital part of recovery efforts.
They hope to continue gaining volunteers and expanding beyond the region to help as many people in need as they can. “I hope to continue to grow and get more volunteers willing to work with us,” said Justine. “We only want to grow and get bigger.”
If you are interested in volunteering or donating to Emerald Coast United, you can reach them at (850) 312-3303 or ECUnited850@gmail.com. You can follow them on Facebook for more up-to-date information.
