Was he going for the other exit to follow the surviving pilot?
When I did my first HUET at HMS Vernon in 1967 in the dark and deep submarine escape tower I was told that if your exit doesn't open immediately go for one that has.
Fast forward 37 years to the HUET at Perth. Final rollover, hand on handle, pull and the door didn't release. I immediately went out through the other cockpit door and when I surfaced I got a bollocking from the safety people floating around because I had come out of the wrong door.
They didn't believe me when I said the door wouldn't jettison.............until they tried it.