Unless the modification was signed off by an engineer. This will end badly for the operator.
But not nearly as bad as the victims in this.
Lucky for sure, Ericl... same with the rest of us. A few $ for a decent, comfortable floater/pfd - a wp radio, flares, and whatever else you want in a wp bag - could make a big difference when things go sideways...Makes me realize how lucky I have been over the years & how stupid I am.
I can't believe PLB's or EPIRBS are not mandatory on a boat like that with that many passengers.