Originally Posted by
hedur
Nothing the OP wrote has led me to believe his wife panicked or freaked out during the actual incident. For all we know she could have been the picture of calm and control while onboard. To shed a few tears and vent some of the fear to your partner after the fact seems completely normal to me.
Yes, it's the "let-down" reaction from the adrenaline generated during the crisis. You stay cool at the time, do what has to be done, and then get the "shakes" and the urge to cry when the crisis is over.
As a nurse, I've experience it several times after attempting to resuscitate a patient who had collapsed unexpectedly.