"The unconscious man was in shorts, but he was shirtless and shoeless. "

No mention of PFD's either in the article. i watched the video and it looks like they had flotation cushions but no PFDs.
Canoe self rescue is not easy. A few years back we had an ACA canoe instructor do some self rescue and once it gets fairly flooded it's really tough if not impossible especially if you're soaking in frigid water.