From several news source:

'They fired off three flares hoping to get the attention of workers at a nearby oil rig, but no one responded. The boat capsized that night.'

'The Coast Guard officials said they survived because they stuck with the boat. The men also rationed bubble gum and crackers and used a hose to suck fresh water out of the internal "washdown" tank. Fishermen often keep such a tank to wash fish slime off their boat when they are out in the salt water. "It's not the cleanest, not the greatest and it tasted like diesel," Shane Phillips told the newspaper.'

'Local car dealer, Eddie Yaklin, was out sailing his boat near an oil rig when he made a startling discovery Saturday. Yaklin saw two people standing on top of a capsized boat through binoculars. The third person was in the water at the time. One of the people on the capsized boat was waving a white T-shirt at Yaklin... Yaklin said he put in a call to the Coast Guard and didn't know at the time that the men ... had been missing for eight days. The boat capsized due to a pontoon malfunction.

'Hall ... will see a doctor later on Sunday for what he thinks are second-degree burns on his legs from sun exposure.'

'The three were dehydrated, had cracked lips and were sunburned. Yaklin gave them water and fed them. The three said they survived on a couple crackers, beer and three gallons of water. They also said they used a towel to cover themselves from the sun.'

'... everybody on shore knew that we had the equipment to get out there and call distress if anything was wrong like that, but we didn't have time to do any of that," Hawkins explained.'