If only they could - if it's possible to maintain good hover references and there's an escape route, maybe. Sometimes you might not have the power to come to an out of ground effect hover, but more telling is if horizon / hover references are lost, e.g. scud running / creeping and then into the gloop, most possible outcomes aren't good -
1. Lose control and mast bump or hit terrain (unstable machine, not usually fitted with an attitude indicator, pilots quite often with no instrument exposure)
2. Try to descend / turn out of the cloud and hit terrain
3. Even if proficient on instruments and aircraft fitted with them, have to establish a stable climb and avoid unseen obstacles (probably pushing through a valley or crossing a ridge when the inadvertent IMC happened).
Anyway, not saying any of that happened in this case - sad loss of fellow pilots, RIP.