batboy
I don't doubt that you were there.
Having donned the full face mask (in the simulator) on many occasions and tried to make a suitable soothing PA, I suspect, as do others, that what you describe as:
a very abrupt and panicked message came over the PA from the pilot
was in fact, as lakerman said:
a normal call heard with the pilot trying to talk with a full O2 mask,
If the press and other's want to attribute that unusual sounding PA as panicked, then IMHO I think "guff" still applies.