If this was an early model, it would not have had any icing protection fitted.
Crab - I agree icing is not fun, and as you say going into it may well be a last resort, but I think its 50/50 compared with trying to grope your way out of whiteout low level in a mountain/wires environment!
If it was a later model, with SAR modes fitted, there may have been other automated options to transition away, or get back into a steady hover at a safe height. With a basic helicopter, we have seen many times (eg G-LBAL) that "using the force" to transition away in very low vis is a bad idea.