Great story...
There is a detailed and excellent account of this incident in the book “Neptune’s Inferno” (one of the best ever on this campaign in the Solomon Island Campaign, and I have read a few) and it tickled my funny bone.
He apparently flagged down a destroyer, the USS Monssen, which sent a launch to the beach and picked up a bunch of surrounded Marines.
In the account in the book, the author describes in detail from personal accounts how the USS Monssen shelled the Japanese forces with everything they had, and the Marines on board were able to see the 5” shells hit the sloping uphill terrain and leave a red hot trail tobogganing through the trees, wreaking carnage and destruction in their paths...it was apparently an enjoyable show for them.
The USS Monssen was sunk during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal (Same battle that Admirals Scott and Callahan both died in) and she took 145 of her crew to the bottom with her in Ironbottom Sound.
Just wow.