I agree with this (and the other similar sentiments). I would risk myself over someone on the ground. But what if you had three passengers in the aircraft with you? You have a responsibility to those passengers too.
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A good point... Also, people trying to swim to the rescue sometimes drown.
Most beaches I can think of in the UK are empty enough that I would aim to get the aircraft down on the beach rather than in the water.
At my local beach, I know the aircraft would sink in and it could well be impossible to get it moved to safety before the tide came in, so 'saving the plane' really would be a secondary issue. I'm also aware that swimming there is quasi-suicidal at the best of times due to complicated currents.