How did Elian Gonzalez survive the sea trip from Cuba to Florida?

Elian was only six years old when he was brought on a makeshift raft by his mother along with twelve others where they were trying to get from Cuba to Florida. The CIA said that conditions on the sea were so bad during that time that anything that was not attached to the boat would've been washed overboard. On top of that, the raft itself was in terrible condition and was taking on water, but miraculously, Elian was one of only three people who survived that trip when the Coast Guard found him.<br><br>That story about Elian has always bugged me since even if he was in better physical condition compared to the adults, the conditions of the sea were bad enough that only three survived. I'm guessing there must be more details about that trip that aren't commonly known because from what I do know, I have a hard time believing that he survived that trip.