Over 12,000 TT, 1,500 Rotorcraft, ATP MEL, SEL, SES and Rotorcraft. Thousands of hours of FW actual IMC. ATP Rotorcraft check ride done at Bell Helicopter, Alliance.
A skilled and current instrument pilot can fly an unstabilized machine (my experience is Jet Ranger, Long Ranger and 407) on the gauges, but it takes 100 percent of your concentration. What you are unlikely to be able to do is fly the machine on the gauges and navigate, communicate, figure out how to extract yourself. Ideally, you want a crew -- one person to fly, and a second to monitor your flying, tune navigation sources, talk on the radio and figure out how to get you out.
The first time I encountered inadvertent IMC in the helicopter for real, we were headed west over the ocean (Cook Inlet), about 300 AGL, early in the morning, several miles from shore. One moment we were cruising along at 80 knots under a defined ceiling that just showed up off shore, and a second later we were 100 percent IMC. I thought, OK you are an ATP Rotorcraft, get on the gauges and make a level 180 degree turn to reverse course away from the fog and the terrain ahead. It took every bit of my ability to stay calm, execute the level, non-descending turn and fly out of the IMC. Just that, felt like an hour long procedure even though it was probably three minutes, and I was supervised by my wife who was the pilot non-flying (she was also ATP Fixed Wing and Rotorcraft).
I can not imagine any low time pilot putting themselves in this position intentionally, and then trying to continue to destination. Understandable if he crashed trying to reverse course, but this is, unfortunately for his passengers, Darwin at work.