That would be the case in a twin engine helicopter in the event of an engine failure (or similar emergency) that required immediate transition into forward flight. If you have sufficient power to hover OEI then the winchman and casualty can either be winched to the aircraft or placed on the ground.
The problem with this sad accident was probably that, having a severely injured the winchman on the end of the wire (after hitting the side of the gorge), it would have been impossible to effect a cabin entry with the casualty in a stretcher and the winchman unconscious or so badly hurt that he was unable to help. They would have had to get them as close to the ground as possible and then cut the cable - again an unconscious winchman can't unhook himself and the stretcher from the cable.
The winchman's job is the most dangerous but the winch operator's job carries the most responsibility and requires the most skill and need for instant and correct decision-making.