I've done the dunker training (but never the real thing) as many of you would have done. It is very disorienting and getting back into the heli three times in 8 degree water to save others would be very challenging and more you could reasonably expect from the average chap.
yes, it is disorientating getting out of the aircraft and you would normally inflate your lifejacket once clear. I don't know if he did that or not but it would have made getting back into the helo nigh on impossible.
If he did go back in (do we know that for sure) 3 times (why when there were only 2 others in it) but with the floats inflated and the helo inverted and stable then yes, it is an admirable thing to do and I suspect in those conditions, properly suited up and with adrenaline pumping, most of us would have done the same to rescue friends.