Firefighter Recalls Princess Diana's Heartbreaking Last Words During 1997 Crash In Paris

A tragic event shook the British Royal Family on August 31, 1997, when Princess Diana, the first wife of King Charles and mother to Princes William and Harry, died in a car crash in Paris’ Pont de l’Alma tunnel. The accident also killed Dodi Fayed and the car’s driver.

Emergency responders, including firefighter Xavier Gourmelon, reached the spot. Initially, Diana was conscious when Gourmelon approached her and believed her injuries weren’t severe. However, she soon lost consciousness. Despite Gourmelon’s efforts to revive her by giving CPR, Diana suffered a cardiac arrest.

Gourmelon, in a conversation with Good Morning Britain, said, “Nobody knew it was her. As I approached, a blonde person was sitting on the floor. She regained consciousness and looked at me and said, ‘Oh my god, what’s happened?’ I tried to calm her down but she fell into a coma again. We took her out of the car, put her on a stretcher but the doctor said she was in cardiac arrest. We gave her CPR and after 20 seconds she regained consciousness and we transferred her to the ambulance."

Gourmelon believed that Princess Diana might have survived if she were given medical treatment on time. Soon after arriving at the hospital, she suffered another cardiac arrest and passed away at the medical facility.

In another interview with The Sun, the fighter shared, “My ten-man team was in two trucks and we were the first to arrive. The car was in a mess and we just dealt with it like any road accident. We got straight to work to see who needed help. I could see she had a slight injury to her right shoulder but, other than that, there was nothing significant. There was no blood on her at all."

He explained that the driver was already dead. Dodi Fayed, who was in the back of the car, suffered cardiac arrest and was declared dead on the spot. The only survivor, bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones, was trapped and had severe injuries.

More than two decades after her tragic death, Princess Diana continues to be one of the most beloved and well-known figures from the British Royal Family.