http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/27/us/women-lost-at-sea-rescued-navy-trnd/index.html
What it looks like is two people who have never been outside of civilization had "a great idea", planned for a weekend, and took off. If something went wrong, they could call 911 or make a call on VHF.
It never occurred to them that, beyond about 12 miles, you are on your own. Totally. Most lifelong boaters are aware that an EPIRB, a sat phone, and/or HF rig is very nearly as important as having a spare ( manual ) water maker ( oops ).
There is also another viewpoint ( seen in story comments ), that perhaps they had some other motive, such as get headlines and/or write a book. ( Not a view I agree with )
In any event, they are rather lucky.
--edit--
There are "holes" in the story, possibly due to poor reporting. Difficult to make any actual assessment with the story as provided.