These people weren't trying to get away. They were just drifting in the water. You have a situation where you are 46 miles off shore. The sun goes down, there's no light. Something that small can be easily lost when there's no marker on it.
There's a long laundry list of reasons why someone would be denied entry. We don't want people assaulting police officers or the flight crew. That doesn't mean that would prevent her or anyone else from coming in.