... in a 19 foot boat.
Motor boat? Sailboat?
We used to have a 16 ft dagger board day sailer with a cabin, bunks and head. I don’t think the size of the boat would be a huge disadvantage. But not having communications (report bad weather), life jackets (pulled/fell overboard) or a firearm (drug runners/human trafficking-kidnapping) are the serious issues.
The one kid looked like an avid fisherman. I would suspect a fishing mishap.