I may be missing something, but if this chap was able to be escorted to safety by a helicopter, they must have been in VMC.
So it is a basic navigation issue.
Why could he not navigate?
I know people will take the micky out of me for mentioning the 3-letter word again, but why didn't he carry a GPS?
In the 20th century, never mind the 21st century, the concept of getting lost in VMC should be totally alien.