A lot of things can happen, sounds like they went down fast so it may have gotten damaged. Or the epirb could have popped free only to get sucked down with the vessel.

Life rafts are really the last place you want to be, they are miserable and not very reliable or safe. Maybe it wasn't taken care of or was damaged. The old saying goes you only leave your boat when you have to step up into the life raft.

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1969 280SE
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