Did the storm push them into the rocks, or were they already close to shore somewhere? If so, and having lost an engine with a typhoon coming, why not try to offload some passengers?
Offload them to where?
If the boat has even a shallow 10 ft draft and it bottoms out in a shallows, it doesn't mean there's any land nearby. Everyone can still drown. In fact, shallow water during a storm surge could be even more dangerous than other open water.