Brutal
Could the reason she accepted the flight was because of her lack of experience? I am not talking about her flying hours or instructional....but many guys and girls think that flying a helicopter around the sunny grand canyon, or sight seeing trips in Florida is the same as a job at night up north in foul weather conditions? (or even in the day for that matter)?
Lots of pilots are of the assumption that just because they have their licence and lots of hours they can fly anywhere and do anything? Maybe management should ask the questions in an interview to find out what "real" experience they have ,or think twice when reading one's Resume' before hiring?
I thoroughly agree with your analysis and her judgment was probably skewed further by the fact she used to be a a rescue swimmer involved in real life-saving and may have approached her new job on HEMS with the same attitude.
If this was her first 'proper' job rather than sightseeing and basic instruction and she started in the HEMS business working for what seems like a 'cowboy' operator with a poor attitude to safety and weather limits - the holes in the cheese were lining up against her.