A few hundred yards would be one thing - .50 cals shoot a long way. But 5 km is something else entirely. I'm not sure how fast PCFs were, but that sounds like he ran for 4-6 minutes - an eternity in an ambush.
I formulated this just looking at the diagram. The WP did Kerry a favor by not saying how far and how long he ran. If they said he ran for 5 klicks before rushing back to support the other Swifts, it looks real bad.
One must ask why the other three intact boats quickly rallied around the stricken PCF-3? The Swifties have said they did so because it was swift boat doctrine. I'm sure they had an innate desire to rescue and protect their team mates, too.
Kerry fled while good men bled. He fled the scene of this ambush, jeopardizing the lives of his team mates and endangering the life of a passenger (Rassmann) by dumping him into the drink when he firewalled the throttle. He fled Vietnam 8 months early leaving his team mates to carry on the fight. Shortly after his arrival home, he fled the Naval Reserve by getting out of his commitment early. He then fled the realm of decency by betraying his fellow veterans and thereby prolonging the war they were winning. In his role of Senator he has fled the realm of patriotism by consistently supporting unAmerican positions, endangering are military and intelligence services, warming up to Communists, and, in turn, jeopardizing our very existence. Now, in addition to these low-life traits he has exhibited throughout his adult life, we find that he's a serial liar. Kerry has never performed adequately in America's benefit.