On August 31, 1997, the world was shaken when Diana, Princess of Wales, d:ied following a devastating car crash in Paris. At just 36 years old, she was traveling with her partner, Dodi Fayed, as they attempted to evade a group of photographers who had been relentlessly pursuing them.

Their Mercedes, driven by chauffeur Henri Paul, lost control at the entrance of the Pont de l'Alma tunnel. The vehicle first clipped another car before veering sharply and colliding with a concrete pillar at an estimated 65 miles per hour. The crash proved catastrophic, claiming the lives of Diana, Dodi, and Henri almost instantly. Only Trevor Rees-Jones, Dodi’s bodyguard, survived, though with life-altering injuries.

A Firefighter’s Heartbreaking Memory

Among the first emergency responders on the scene was firefighter Xavier Gourmelon, who has since spoken publicly about the haunting experience. At the time, he did not realize he was treating one of the most famous women in the world.

Gourmelon recalled seeing a “blonde woman” in the wreckage. Though badly injured, she was still conscious when he approached her. Kneeling beside her, he reached for her hand and tried to comfort her while colleagues worked to free her from the mangled car.

It was then that Diana, in a frail but clear voice, uttered her final words:
“My God, what’s happened?”

Moments later, she went into cardiac arrest.

A Fight to Save Her Life

Gourmelon immediately began resuscitation efforts, refusing to give up. “I massaged her heart and a few seconds later she started breathing again,” he told reporters. “It was a relief, because as a firefighter, your mission is to save lives—and I truly believed I had succeeded.”

He added that when Diana was placed into the ambulance, he thought she would survive. “As far as I knew, she was alive and stable. I fully expected her to make it. Finding out later that she had d:ied at the hospital was devastating.”

Doctors at Paris’s Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital later revealed that Diana had sustained critical internal injuries that could not be overcome. Despite the heroic efforts of first responders, her life could not be saved.

A Tragedy That Still Resonates

For Gourmelon, the memory of that night has never faded. “The whole episode is still very vivid in my mind,” he said. “Only when she was placed into the ambulance did I learn from a paramedic that the woman I had been helping was Princess Diana.”

The revelation left him stunned. Like millions around the world, he later witnessed the outpouring of grief that followed her d:eath. In the days that followed, thousands gathered outside Kensington Palace to lay flowers and pay tribute. On the day of her funeral, an estimated 2.5 billion people worldwide tuned in to watch the service—making it one of the most widely viewed broadcasts in history.

The Legacy of the People’s Princess

Diana’s untimely d:eath not only reshaped the British monarchy but also cemented her place as one of the most beloved public figures of the 20th century. Known as the “People’s Princess,” she left behind a legacy of compassion, advocacy, and dedication to humanitarian causes that continues to inspire today.

For Gourmelon, however, the memory is much more personal—a reminder of a fleeting, fragile moment when he held her hand and heard her very last words. “The memory of that night will stay with me forever,” he admitted, echoing the sentiment of millions who still feel her absence nearly three decades later.