First, let me admit that I am only SLF. However, I *have* read all 52 pages of this thread, so perhaps I get a bit of credit...
Two questions/comments:
1. Perhaps in this case - with aircraft intact, wings to stand on, and boats coming - it is better that the majority of the passengers did not don life vests. Let's be honest - if folks had put them on, a good number would have inflated them inside the aircraft. If they had, perhaps everyone would not have gotten out.
2. There did not seem to be nearly enough life rafts (slide rafts, or whatever you choose to call them). They appeared to be nearly full, and it appeared at least half the people were standing on the wings. If boats had not been nearby, or the aircraft had broken up, people would have died from hypothermia due to immersion regardless of whether they had vests on. If the back doors are going to be unusable in the event of a water landing, then it seems the possible 'raft' capacity of the rear slide should be ignored. Moving the slide to the front of the plane while the aircraft is sinking just isn't going to happen.
Am I wrong?