He's got a medevac patient on board, sometimes the patient has a bleeding problem, others a breathing problem, and climbing, even though the change in air pressure is small, can make a big difference.
Hovering requires much more power than cruising, and he might have been so heavy that a hover would be a problem. Also at 700' there are reduced hover references, and it is possible to end up going backwards into the relative wind, which causes stability and control problems. Small gentle orbits is the usual way to do it.
That's why he said he would talk on the phone and not over the radio.