Don't know what was taught in rescue class, but I know what works. Your presence was, more than likely, the real calming aspect of this whole event. The bolting person is just one tiny step from where you were at. Your calming effect was the key aspect of this.
I did a checkout dive with a new diver from the Midwest in the pacific off Panama, and while I was going through a quick check of his skills, and letting him get adjusted to his first ocean dive, a 12 - 15 ft tiger shark swam directly at us, from behind me. The guy bolted and I tried to hold on - never been kicked, clawed, elbowed so much in my life. When we got to the surface, I discovered that a bolting diver is actually trying to get out of the water, not just to the surface. He attempted to use me as some sort of raft. Removed my reg, my mask, and perched on top of me. I will never again do a checkout of a new person with myself being directly in front of them.
Two minutes later, you would not have known anything happened.
I learned to stay on their right side - makes giving them back a reg really easy and allows you to move behind if needed.
