Stuck in a Rip

A few years ago my brother-in-laws father was swimming at Whale Beach when he got caught in a bad rip. Being from Ireland he was not an experienced swimmer and quickly panicked and was struggling in the surf.
My brother-in-law, who is a strong swimmer, quickly tried to rescue his father. Strangely, his father strongly rejected his attempts at rescue, as though he was more interested in maintaining his pride, than being saved.