Whats really sad is they think their doing the right thing. Dropping,handling, suffocating the fish. All that kills the chance for them to live. Your buddy might have tried to release the fish properly, but bottom line he screwed up. Tell him point blank. I have a friend that snagged a fish ever time we went out. He made it look as if he didn't intend to but I knew better. I got pissed and told him off. He doesn't pull that crap when we go out anymore. Now mind you snagging is a far cry from improper release, but the strait forward approach is always best. Thats my 2 cents for what its worth. J.C.B