Blimey mate, you don't swing a prop without assistance!!
Yes, you do. How do you suppose one does it when one is alone? There's nothing improper or dangerous about hand propping an airplane alone...if it's done correctly.
Were the parking brakes not engaged? One of the first things you check surely.
Proper procedure is to tie the tail (never a wing) and chock it, and before propping one always attempts to move the airplane to ensure it's going to stay put.
The pilot couldn't start the engine, so he tried swinging the prop. In a Cessna with an electric starter? Big no-no for starters.
Handpropping an airplane equipped with an electric starter is not a big "no no," by any stretch of the imagination. It's done safely all the time.
Is this story a wind-up?
Why should it be. This most certainly isn't the first time this sort of thing has happened.
What's shocking is that instructors aren't teaching students the proper technique to hand prop an airplane, given that it's basic propeller safety.
Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought electric starters all had a "Bendix" drive (or whatever it is called) which physically disengages the starter from the engine when the starter is not engaged. This would mean that hand-propping an engine with an electric starter does not have any impact on the starter whatsoever.
You are correct. However, it's not uncommon, especially with a dead battery, a weak bendix, or a damaged gear, to have the bendix stuck and engaged with the ring gear. Usually ensuring that it's disengaged is the first step in preparing to handprop, after making sure the airplane is secure and controls are set.
As far as a starter-engaged light....most light airplanes with which I'm familiar don't have them. One need only listen, and check the ammeter or voltmeter, to have an indication it's still engaged, however.