Crab,
It isn't Pioneer stuff as you seem to think. It is going on today as we speak and will go on in the future.
Unless and until you know the full facts of the situation in the Canyon that day, you are making assumptions based on ignorance of the situation.
Perhaps where he landed is a single aircraft landing site with nothing but the Colorado River and steep walled canyon surrounding the site. Sight Seeing helicopters do not have Winches you might recall.
I would suggest you consider there was no prohibition for him to have done what he did, not in Law, Regulation, or Policy.
What you need to "get" is things are different outside the UK and we have a much different mindset about operating helicopters than does the CAA and EASA.
Monday Morning Quarter Backing is always fraught with peril.
I suppose you will be bashing the R-66 Pilot for making a Precautionary Landing as he did. After all, one could say he put his passengers at risk by flying in weather that he could not guarantee making it to the Destination. That would be just as unfair as your criticism of the Canyon Pilot as you don't know the details of how that R-66 came to be where he was when he landed out.