Pace,
Having been in a situation many years ago where I was faced with having to save someone! What is better attempting to or living with that picture in your head for the rest of your life? The fact that you did nothing ? I am not that brave to live with that picture )
I know my own choice and doing nothing would be awful to live with. To go and prioritise saving your car makes me sick but maybe people are different and that guy wouldn't loose any sleep over it
Like you, I too have been it that situation (when others were just standing around doing sod all) and I did react but I cannot believe I did so because I wouldn't be able to live with myself otherwise, it just seemed to happen. People do react so differently to stressful and totally alien situations.
Why else would pax just sit on burning aircraft waiting for instructions for example?