Yikes! It seems like he took reasonable precautions. Plus, he's an ex-marine. Sometimes, things just don't work out. In the end, his survival was a success.

I wonder if he had a whistle, or maybe he lost it. I'd want my big Storm Whistle in that situation.

As for the guy who saw the flash, that's not comforting that he ignored the flash. Maybe it happens a lot. I would think that a flash at least deserves a look through some binoculars/telescope. Or maybe the rescuer didn't have those.