I did some very basic maths to try to understand the claim that it's possible to recover from VRS with such a small altitude loss.
3,000 fpm = 34 mph
4,000 fpm = 45 mph
To try to put this in context, I looked up car braking distances. Most sources state these braking distances (dry road surface):
Speed 30 mph = 75 feet.
Speed 40 mph = 118 feet
Speed 50 mph = 175 feet
These are essentially "emergency stop" distances and anyone who drives a car will understand the dynamics of such a manoeuvre. I fail to see how anyone can claim that a helicopter can level off in around one third of those distances from similar vertical speeds.