A good story, and perhaps a lesson for us all to learn. It is sometimes hard to swallow pride and risk embarrassment but it pays off.
We've all been "temporarily unaware of position" at some point, easily done especially using dead reckoning/landmarks if you've misjudged the wind or it's a bit off forecast, distractions etc., and it's scary if you are close to CAS, but good on the student for not being afraid to call for help when needed, and to FBW for his help.
Smithy