Are there any photos of the boat? Did they have radio or anything?
My brother used to sail around So. FL and the Caribbean and he said it was very dangerous. He was always armed.
We have a sailboat that is a true blue water cruiser. We have been up down and all around SoCal from San Diego to Ventura. We have a true respect for the sea. Watch and listen to the weather reports religiously before undertaking any cruise. We also have a handheld nav and a handheld radio in case the hard wired ones quit working (which they have lol).
Those kids should have never attempted that trip in a 19 ft boat with apparently no one really knowing where they were going and no emergency equipment.