One of the darkest nights in contemporary history was August 31, 1997. Princess Diana, the “People’s Princess,” died in a Paris automobile tragedy that night.
The Pont de l’Alma tunnel tragedy stunned millions. It shaped world consciousness.
Scholars have extensively studied the circumstances of her death, but new information has emerged. An on-scene first responder offered a devastating twist.
Princess Diana enthralled the globe with her compassion, charisma, and tireless humanitarianism. Her unexpected death shook the world.
That fateful night, Diana and Dodi Fayed were fleeing paparazzi. Just departed the Ritz Paris.
Henri Paul drove the Mercedes-Benz S 280 Saloon. Paul was Ritz’s deputy security chief.
Unfortunately, the vehicle lost control while driving through Paris. It hit the 13th Pont de l’Alma tunnel pillar.
Henri Paul and Dodi Fayed died on the scene. Their lives ended instantly.
Within the tumult and damage, Princess Diana survived. Emergency responders arrived shortly.
Sergeant Xavier Gourmelon, a French fireman, was among them. He had no notion he was about to meet a world-famous woman.
Gourmelon recounted that night. He remembered the terrifying task of saving passengers from the wreckage.
Near the vehicle, he observed a distressed but conscious woman. The severity of the situation was evident.
Yet Gourmelon remained focused on his duty. “She looked at me, and I could see that she was agitated, trying to understand what had just happened,” he recounted.
This was during an interview with Good Morning Britain on the 20th anniversary of Diana’s death. The firefighters and his team worked quickly to extract her from the vehicle.
Despite the wreckage and the grim circumstances, Gourmelon believed there was hope. He carefully tended to Diana, noting that she had an exposed shoulder wound.
Other than the wound, she was showing signs of stability. Her breathing was steady, and she had a strong pulse.
With his experience as a first responder, Gourmelon felt confident that she could survive. He reassured her, trying to keep her calm as they worked to stabilize her for transport to the hospital.
Gourmelon became aware of the severity of the situation as the paramedics prepared to transfer her to an ambulance. “I massaged her heart, and a few seconds later, she started breathing again,” he told The Sun.
There was a fleeting moment of optimism. There was a small possibility that Princess Diana might recover.
The first respondent felt confident in his performance. He believed he had rescued someone that evening.
Gourmelon only learned Diana’s true identity after placing her in the ambulance. One of the paramedics informed him that it was Princess Diana.
He pondered the significance of the moment. The weight of the realization that he had been in the presence of royalty burdened him.
Nevertheless, he remained optimistic about her chances of making it through the difficult situation.
Nevertheless, the true gravity of the situation turned out to be much worse than anyone had initially anticipated.
Despite her seemingly stable condition, Diana had experienced severe internal damage. Unfortunately, these injuries would ultimately result in a tragic outcome.
She was quickly taken to Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital. Medical professionals made every effort to save her life.
However, in the early hours of the morning, at around 4 a.m. Paris time, Princess Diana tragically passed away due to her injuries. The world was filled with sorrow.
Discovery after investigation made that night’s events even more devastating. A French investigation found that Henri Paul, the driver, had a blood alcohol level nearly four times the legal limit.
This was a major factor that played a significant role in the crash. An inquest in Britain later determined that Diana’s death was the result of “unlawful killing.”
This was a result of the extremely reckless driving of both Paul and the paparazzi, who had been relentlessly chasing the car.
As the world reflects on and pays tribute to Princess Diana’s enduring legacy, the disclosure of her last moments brings a poignant and personal dimension to the heartbreaking tragedy.
In the midst of the tumultuous events unfolding around her, Diana spoke her last words, capturing the essence of the moment. With a tone of surprise and shock, she exclaimed, “Oh my goodness, what has occurred?”
These were the final words uttered by Princess Diana before she slipped into unconsciousness. They are a poignant reminder of the abrupt and heartbreaking conclusion to a life that had impacted numerous people.
The firefighter who was present that night, who battled to rescue her, bears the burden of those words with him. Even in her last moments, they serve as a powerful reminder of the delicate nature of life and the lasting influence of Diana’s legacy.
