My first question, though, would be "What good is a life raft if you can't get it out of the plane in time?" Presumably, the idea behind having a life raft is to use it if you have to land in the water; these guys had more time than that, but still barely managed to get themselves out.
This wasn't a ditching, in the classic sense, so who knows what, exactly, transpired. However, there are plenty of occasions when the life raft does make it out, some when it does not. Lots of issues could impact how that happens. Bottom line, as others have noted, if it isn't with you, it cannot save you(tm).
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