A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush! Might be an old saying, but that's 'cause there's alotta truth in it. Like ya say, ECCI holds .10 very well, even year round.
My guess is, shorts saw it an opportune stock to short just prior to the end of the worst part of hurricane season.
However, like you also say, the prospects may even be better than ever. The Sept. PR about the SA contract looks like it could be a very lucrative one, especially since ECCI would gain royalties with no outlays in manufacturing costs.
Either way, money invested here is more likely to be a sure thing than a good many other places. A little patience is the key.