Hearsay your honor, not admissible !
Eight in a boat killed eighty?
Without further info I'll back your opinion.
I'd buy "Shot at about eighty". A boat in an unsteady shooting platform, especially with eight excited guys. A boat is also the biggest target. A few shots from the bad guys and there would be big holes in the boat.
Then again maybe those "Investment Types" had a couple of MG-3s (German) mounted in the bow. Now they would clear a block or two.