B407 down in GoM - 4 missing

[helispotter]

Aviation-safety.net description has since been expanded to report that: "Only debris was found (including skids and the emergency flotation system). Recovery operations were delayed by poor weather the next day". That is consistent with what is seen in some of the media video. So presumably the fuselage separated from skids either on deck or when the damaged helicopter hit the water. I wonder if the prospect of survival of those on board might have been better had fuselage remained connected to the skids/floats, even if the helicopter was floating inverted?