14 is too young to be navigating open ocean. Does anyone know if there are killer whales in that area?
And in a 19ft ‘vessel’, that’s ill-suited for open ocean.
No, no killer whales. Plenty of sharks, though.
I have raced sailboats, and have been a Mariner for over 35 years, and I can’t imagine why a caring parent would let their 14 year-old boy go out to sea for any reason. When did the kid start boating, at 10 years of age? It doesn’t make much sense, to me.
They were told to remain in the inlet.
Agreed, but older people die off Florida's coast all the time as well. Usually they're out in the open ocean without the slightest bit of preparation. No food, no water, no compass, no radio, no navigation gear, no life preservers - usually just fishing gear and beer.