Chris,
Between Gary LaPook's statistics and Bill Roe's experience it seems pretty well established that they *should* have been seen. As a pilot I also think that is a reasonable position.
However it might be a little premature to speculate if or why they were not.
To my way of looking at it, this is just one of many mystery's associated with this event. Even recovery of a piece of an Electra during Niko VIII will do little to answer this question.
Perhaps Niko IX will turn up a message like "... those fish were so good, but now Fred just passed from dysentery ... he rode the Electra off with the tide and I'm going to walk down towards that lake and see if I can find some sprouts to chew on, wish I had some
pepto-bismol.
On Grand Cayman, the Barracuda caught off seven mile beach will kill you if you eat them, but the Barracuda caught on the North Shore are excellent (and safe) to eat. A 'native' way to test for sure, is to offer a piece to a cat, if she turns her nose up at it, you better as well. Around here (SW Florida) you catch a Lot of Puffer Fish, a real delicacy for the Japanese, but again they are deadly poison if you don't know
Exactly how to clean them...
I will agree with Gary that they *should* have been there, healthy but not happy when Bevington showed up. They were not.
At this point, I am not ready to speculate 'if' or 'why' they were not rescued by the searchers. Makes no difference now, we just know they were not...