Destin Council seeks federal help to fix East Pass navigation hazards after boat collisions

In Brief:

⚓ East Pass safety under review after collisions
💡 Council pushes for new lighting and marker repairs
🗳️ Unanimous vote sends request to Rep. Patronis

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DESTIN — The Destin City Council on Monday unanimously backed a request from the city’s Harbor and Waterways Board to seek state support for long-needed navigational safety upgrades in East Pass, where deteriorating channel markers and unlit buoys have created ongoing hazards for boaters.

Vice Chairman of the Harbor and Waterways Board, John Stevens, told council members that while the U.S. Coast Guard has recently repositioned buoys 1 and 2 to deeper water, this has improved navigation; however, several key safety issues remain unresolved.

“Just last week, a large vessel actually collided with the jetties,” Stevens said. “Nine years ago, we had another accident where we lost two lives. So we need to get this fixed.”

Stevens noted that the council had prioritized lighting on the jetties back in November 2024, but said he was unaware of any updates since then.

The board’s recommendations call for four specific improvements:

Repair and upgrade the East Pass marker.
Install a new day marker at the end of the west jetty, replacing the damaged one.
Add lighting to all existing “nun” and “can” buoys.
Retain and illuminate the repositioned buoys 1 and 2.

Councilmember Teresa Hebert commended the board’s persistence.

“What we’re looking at right now is, like, maybe a quarter of what we needed done was done,” Hebert said. “There’s so much more that needs to be addressed.”

City Manager Larry Jones confirmed that his office had prepared a draft letter to U.S. Rep. Jimmy Patronis (R-FL), requesting his support in advocating for the Coast Guard to take action on the city’s recommendations.

In that letter, Jones wrote that the lack of proper lighting and damaged markers “have created serious safety hazards for boaters navigating the area,” adding that improvements are essential to protect residents, visitors, and Destin’s reputation as the “World’s Luckiest Fishing Village.”

Stevens said he hopes the show of support from the council helps elevate the urgency of the issue.

“For a city that calls itself a world-class fishing community, our current entrance conditions are far below standard,” he told council members. “If you look over to Orange Beach, their entrance is well-lit up. It’s easy to navigate, and that’s the level of safety and professionalism we should be aiming for.”