Oden,
They did have an NVD - the EO/IR being used by the rearcrew. He clearly saw the obstruction and kept calling for a turn....
I presume that the EO diisplay wasn't (or couldn't be) selected on one of the cockpit MFDs? Not sure NVGs would have helped, they may well have been 'flipped up' at that stage of flight - overwater, AP modes engaged and a procedure in the FMS.