The sentence being: After pulling the fisherman to safety, the groomsmen returned for more wedding photos on the jetty – this time in their underwear, dripping wet and a little battered and bruised.
I think it should say After he was pulling the fisherman to safety, the groomsmen returned for more wedding photos on the jetty.
I could not find any reference why you can leave out he was. My assumption is, that AFTER implies, that this is past also as the whole story happened in the past and therefore this could be to stress this part of the story. Does anyone have some reference for me on this? Thank you.