The Firefighter Who Tried To Save Princess Diana Reveals Her Final Words

Lauren KirkbrideHistory23 Mar 2021

Princess Diana of Wales spent her life working for charity and the people of Britain. At the young age of 36, she died in a car accident in August 1997. Not much was known about her final moments after the crash. That is, until a fireman revealed his story in 2017.

In an interview with The Sun, Paris fireman Xavier Gourmelon admitted that he was the first to attend to Princess Diana. To learn her final words, and the circumstances which lead to the tragedy, keep reading.

Learn about the constant, aggressive attention on Diana that may have caused her death...

A Crash Unlike Any Other

Responders answer the wreckage of Princess Diana's car, August 31st, 1997.

PIERRE BOUSSEL/AFP via Getty Images

On the morning of August 31st, 1997, fireman Xavier Gourmelon attended the scene of a car crash. To him, it was a tragedy he had seen many times before: a fatal wreck caused by a drunk driver. As his team attended the two gentlemen in the car, Gourmelon helped a blonde woman.

When Gourmelon noticed that the woman was alive, she muttered something to him. At the time, he had no idea that this woman was Princess Diana, and that he had heard her final words.

Set Up For Disaster

Diana, Princess Of Wales Attends The Christie's Pre-auction Party For The Launch Of The Auction Of Dresses.

Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images

1997 was a challenging year for Princess Diana. Since she had divorced Prince Charles five years before, and the paparazzi had relentlessly stalked her later relationships. They even released tapes of her previous lover, a car salesman named James Gilbey, calling her "Squidgy." They wouldn't let that go for a while.

Struggling to keep her romances a secret, Diana got together with heart surgeon Hasnat Khan. But in 1997, that relationship began to fail. She never seemed to catch a break.

A New (Potentially Scandalous) Relationship

Diana Princess of Wales (left) and Dodi Fayed (right).

PA Images via Getty Images

In July 1997, Princess Diana took her sons to St. Tropez, France, on vacation. There, she met Dodi Fayed, the owner of Harrod's Department Store and Paris's Hotel Ritz. She had no idea that they would eventually meet a tragic fate together.

As the son of Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed, Dodi was accustomed to a luxurious life. He even produced two films, Hook and Chariots of Fire. Diana was so smitten with him that when she returned, she broke up with Khan.

More Attention Than She Wanted

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After the breakup, the paparazzi suspected that something was up. They pored over Diana's life more than ever to reveal news of her and Dodi. Eventually, news got out that Dodi had given Diana expensive gifts, although he was already engaged to someone else.

Tabloids exploded with headlines featuring Diana and Dodi. Were they engaged as Vanity Fair claimed? Or did she want to make Khan jealous? It's no wonder that the couple took several trips to avoid the paparazzi.

She Could Never Escape The Paparazzi

In August of 1997, Diana and Dodi visited Paris once again. They stayed at Dodi's own Hotel Ritz, but reporters still followed them everywhere. On August 30th, the couple went to dinner at the lavish Benoit restaurant.

As expected, the pair received much attention on their night out. Reporters estimated that 30 photographers followed them on their date. As a result, Diana and Dodi changed plans to eat at L'Espadon instead. It was one of many changes they would make that night.

If you think these circumstances are bad, wait until you learn about Diana's driver.

It Wasn't Just Any Night For The Couple

Paris, FRANCE: Surveillance cameras show French jeweller Repossi arriving to buy an engagement ring for Diana, Princess of Wales.

AFP via Getty Images

It's no surprise that the couple wanted to be alone. According to reports, Dodi had planned to ask for Diana's hand in marriage that night. Around 6:00 pm that night, Dodi asked Repossi jewelers to deliver two rings to his suite.

Trying to avoid detection, the couple left through the rear exit of their hotel and the Benoit. But neither tricks worked. By the time they ordered omelets at L'Espadon, Dodi had grown nervous and suspicious.

So Suspicious That They Couldn't Eat

A permanent memorial to Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi al-Fayed is pictured in the Harrods store in London.

JOHN D MCHUGH/AFP via Getty Images

Although Dodi and Diana ordered their meals, they didn't stay long. According to Christopher Andersen's book, The Day Diana Died, Dodi had grown suspicious of other patrons in the restaurant. He believed that they may have been photographers posing as clients.

With no other options, the couple requested that their food be delivered to their hotel room. They returned to the Ritz and didn't leave until after midnight, never expecting what was to come on August 31st.

Joining An Inebriated Driver

Henri Paul, Diana's driver, faces the paparazzi before he embarks.

Twitter/@DianaDaybyDay

After midnight on August 31st, the couple decided to head to Dodi's apartment by the Champs-Élysées. They left through the rear entrance with Diana's bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones. Entering a black Mercedes S280, they joined Ritz security employee and driver Henri Paul.

Although nobody knew it at the time, Paul had consumed at least two drinks beforehand. He was three times the legal driving level of inebriation for France. A September analysis also revealed that he was on medication that inebriated him further.

Read on to learn the details of the crash.

Dangerous Red Flags

A car is seen driving through the Alma tunnel bridge, where Princess Diana's car crashed.

ERIC FEFERBERG/AFP via Getty Images

By the time the passengers got in the car at 12:20 a.m., Paul was already unstable. According to a BBC report, Paul was taunting the paparazzi who surrounded the car. Stephane Darmon, a motorcyclist for a photographer, described him as "playing a game" with the paparazzi.

Paul joyfully shouted things like, "Lady Di is going to be there in a quarter of an hour." After he got into the car, he rapidly sped off. "It took off just like a plane," Darmon said.

Why Paul Drove So Fast

Jacques Langevin/Sygma via Getty Images

Despite it being Paul's night off, he drove Diana and Dodi to the Champs-Élysées. Two decoy vehicles left before and after the black Mercedes. But because Paul shot off to the right, photographers caught wind of what was happening.

At this point, Paul was driving around 65 mph. Later inquiries suggested that the paparazzi tried to cut him off to no avail. As the Mercedes approached the tunnel under Pont d'Alma, the paparazzi became the least of their problems.

And Then, The Crash

A French policeman attaches the wreckage of Princess Diana's car 31 August in the Alma tunnel of Paris.

PIERRE BOUSSEL/AFP via Getty Images

Three minutes after the car left, Paul lost control of the car. Before they crashed, he asked Rees-Jones to buckle his seatbelt, which was against the protocol for bodyguards. They collided with a concrete pole under Pont de l'Alma.

Paul died immediately after the crash. Photographers captured the totaled car while bystanders contacted emergency relief. It was then that firefighter Xavier Gourmelon received the call. Of course, he didn't speak publicly about it until decades later.

Up next: the firefighter's perspective of that night.

A Firsthand Account Of That Night, Revealed

British investigators look into the death of princess Diana by visiting the Alma tunnel

THOMAS COEX/AFP via Getty Images

Dodi died at the scene, and Diana passed away after she arrived at the hospital. For over 20 years, the public knew very little about the accident other than what was caught on camera. Gourmelon didn't speak publicly about the crash for years afterward.

Gourmelon gave evidence to Diana's inquest in 2007. But until 2017, he never said anything about the princess's final moments. During an interview with The Sun, Gourmelon finally gave his account since he was no longer in active duty.

Just Another Job For Gourmelon

Police mark off the wreckage of Princess Diana's car.

JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images

When Gourmelon received the call, he had no idea that he was tending to Princess Diana. "For me, this was simply a banal traffic incident," he admitted. "It was the usual causes, speed and a drunk driver."

Since he was so close to the crash, his team was the first to arrive. Dr. Frédéric Maillez, who happened to be passing by, had already tended to Diana a little bit. But Gourmelon didn't see her at first.

He Didn't Even See Diana At First

Photo shows the wreckage of Princess Diana's car in the Alma tunnel of Paris.

PIERRE BOUSSEL/AFP via Getty Images

Gourmelon's ten-person team took less than ten minutes to reach the crash site. When they arrived, they immediately searched for who was alive. Gourmelon immediately knew that "nothing could be done" for Paul, who had died on impact.

Dodi and Rees-Jones, though, were still alive. "The bodyguard in the front was conscious, but he was trapped and had very severe facial injuries," Gourmelon explained. Since he didn't see Princess Diana at first, he attended to Rees-Jones.

Her Bodyguard, Still Trying To Protect Her

Workers remove the wreckage of Princess Diana's car, 1997.

PIERRE BOUSSEL/AFP via Getty Images

As his teammates attended to Dodi and Rees-Jones, Gourmelon encountered Diana. Reportedly, Rees-Jones still worried about his dear princess. He repeatedly asked about Diana, although his rescuers did not understand English.

"He kept asking for the princess, saying, 'Where is she? Where is she'?" Gourmelon revealed. He told Rees-Jones that none of his team spoke English, and he advised him to keep calm and not move. Meanwhile, Gourmelon noticed the "she" the bodyguard had been calling for.

Stay tuned to learn how Gourmelon almost saved Diana's life.

Encountering Diana

The jury from the Coroner's inquest into the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Al Fayed enter the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris where the Mercedes the couple were travelling in crashed.

Cathal McNaughton - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images

Gourmelon noticed a blonde woman on the floor in the back of the car. Since she was moving slightly, he knew she was alive. "I could see she had a slight injury to her right shoulder, but other than that, there was nothing significant," he recalled.

Noticing that there was no blood on the woman, Gourmelon moved to reassure her. "I held her hand and told her to be calm and keep still," he told The Sun.

The Princess's Final Words

A rescue team attends the crash site of Princess Diana.

YouTube/The Royal Family Channel

Gourmelon would end up attending to Diana for around an hour until she was sent to a hospital on an ambulance. In the meantime, he tried to calm her down. It was then that Diana said what might have been her final words.

"She said, 'My God, what's happened?'" Gourmelon said. He never revealed whether he answered her or not. Although it seemed like she would survive, Princess Diana would not last through the night, even with her hospital care.

Her First Heart Attack

A photo from August 31st, 1997 depicts Princess Diana's crashed Mercedes.

Twitter/@URDailyHistory

Workers had to use an electric chainsaw to remove the metal parts from Diana. "I gave her some oxygen, and my team and I stayed by her side as she was taken out of the car," Gourmelon said. But more problems arose.

Moments later, the princess stopped breathing. "We are all trained to give first aid," Gourmelon said, "and I saw that she suffered a cardiac arrest and stopped breathing." He immediately moved to help.

Unfortunately, Diana's fate wasn't what Gourmelon expected.

She Recovered...For A Time

An ambulance is at the Pitié-Salpétrière Hospital, where Princess Diana died.

Pascal Le Segretain/Sygma via Getty Images

Fortunately, Gourmelon managed to revive Princess Diana. "I massaged her heart, and a few seconds later, she started breathing again," he told The Sun. "As a first responder, you want to save lives — and that's what I thought I had done."

Alive and breathing, Diana was loaded into an ambulance and rushed to the Pitié-Salpétrière Hospital at 1:20 a.m. During the drive, she suffered another heart attack. The ambulance stopped to administer CPR and AED (defibrillation).

Diana's Death

Floral tributes, photographs and messages sit on an entrance gate to Kensington Palace honor the 20th anniversary of the death of Diana.

Jack Taylor/Getty Images

By 1:45 a.m., Diana had survived her second heart attack of the night. According to The Day Diana Died, she arrived at Pitié-Salpétrière Hospital around 2:01 a.m. She underwent surgery moments later.

Although Diana received a two-hour cardiac massage and surgery, she didn't last through the night. She was pronounced dead at 4:00 a.m. Anesthesiologist Bruno Riou reported that she had arrived in a state of shock with internal bleeding. Ultimately, these internal injuries killed her.

Gourmelon Didn't Know He Had Helped Diana

Xavier Gourmelon, the firefighter who tried to save Diana, is interviewed by The Sun.

YouTube/End Time News

Meanwhile, Gourmelon returned to his wife with shocking news. "I had no idea then that it was Princess Diana," he told The Sun. "It was only when she had been put into the ambulance that one of the paramedics told me it was her.

"I was so shocked," he admitted. "I knew who she was, but don't follow British royalty closely. I went to the ambulance and looked in, and that’s when I recognized her."

He Expected Diana To Live

A cameraman films the point of the fatal car accident in Paris on August 31st, 1997.

JACQUES DEMARTHON/AFP via Getty Images

Even with her injuries, Gourmelon expected her to live. "As far as I knew, when she was in the ambulance, she was alive. And I expected her to live," he admitted. In the meantime, Gourmelon returned to the fire station, where he was working a double weekend shift.

Gourmelon learned the truth when the public did. Bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones was the only victim who survived the incident. Dodi Fayed experienced a heart attack when he was taken out of the car, and he died at the scene.

How well does Gourmelon remember this night? Stay tuned to find out.

Why He Didn't Reveal His Story

Xavier Gourmelon and Princess Diana are shown together with her crash.

Pinterest/Bella Donna

Gourmelon kept his story a secret for over 20 years. As a fireman and a member of the French military, he was forbidden to reveal anything about the incident. He only spoke to The Sun after he had left the service.

Gourmelon worked in Paris until he recently moved back to his home in Brittany. He is now in charge of emergency services at Brest airport. But despite the decades that have passed, Gourmelon still remembers the crash well.

In Response To Her Death

In an overwhelming outpouring of grief and sympathy, over one million bouquets of flowers were left at Kensington Palace, Buckingham Palace, and St. James's Palace after the tragic automobile accident of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Peter Turnley/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images

In response to her death, the people of Britain spared nothing. Flowers and heartfelt messages covered the streets. Citizens erected floral tributes to the "People's Princess" on the gates of Kensington Palace.

"The week after her death was phenomenal, and the scenes at her funeral were amazing," Gourmelon said. "I suppose it is all because of the imagination which the princess captured in people." Unfortunately for him, all the attention served as a reminder of his experience that night.

A Scar On Gourmelon's Memory

Princess Diana's body is carried by airmen of the RAF Regiment after it was brought back from Paris.

Tom Stoddart/Getty Images

During his revealing interview, Gourmelon admitted that he will never forget that upsetting night. "I can still picture the whole scene," he said. "It's something I’ll never forget and that I always think about at this time of year."

In Paris, an unofficial monument marks the area under Pont d'Alma, where Diana's car had crashed. Since her death, Gourmelon has received several calls to that area--to attend the tourists who visited the spot of the Princess's crash.

From being born Lady Diana Spencer to becoming the Princess of Wales, Diana became one of the most revered global figures during the '80s and ’90s. Known as the "People’s Princess," Diana was always humbled to meet the public through her royal tours and work with charity organizations. But there are still plenty of photos of her you've never seen...

Diana Says "Cheese" For The Camera

Princess Diana was warm and relaxed in her private life, as evidenced by this intimate family photo. This particular photograph belonged to a collection of photos allegedly taken by Prince William and Prince Harry on a camera they borrowed from their family friend's nanny.

The photos were taken when Diana's close friend Carolyn Bartholomew visited the family’s Highgrove estate in 1989. The Bartholomew’s nanny, Mary Bruce, kept the photos ever since and bequeathed them to a family friend upon her death, who then decided to share the photos with the world in 2007.

Diana Stuns Hungarians In A White Gown

Georges De Keerle/Getty Images

During an official visit to Hungary in May of 1990, Diana arrived at a state banquet at the Parliament Building in Budapest wearing an incredible strapless dress by designer Catherine Walker. The French designer's label has become synonymous with Princess Diana’s style ever since they met in the early ’80s. The brand is largely responsible for the modernization of royal style in general.

Princess Diana and Prince Charles were visiting Hungary in what was the first official visit by members of the Royal Family to a "Warsaw Pact" country. Diana certainly dazzled all of them.

Stylish Lady Diana Starts Dating Prince Charles In 1980

Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images

Lady Diana Spencer was a stylish, but modest, teenager working low-paying jobs throughout London in the late '70s and ’80s. Here, Diana is seen getting into a car outside of the flat her mother purchased for her in Coleherne Court for her 18th birthday in 1979.

By this time, she was already in the works to be courted by Prince Charles, whom she had met while he was dating her older sister, Lady Sarah. This photo was taken in 1980, the same year that Charles brought Diana to meet his family at their Balmoral residence.

Diana Shares A Few Good Words With Her Stepmom

Tim Graham/Getty Images

Raine Spencer was notoriously known as Diana's "wicked" stepmother. Diana and her siblings had a tumultuous relationship with Countess Spencer, who would be their stepmom for 16 years until Diana’s father’s death in 1992. Within that time, the Spencer kids referred to her as “Acid Raine” and Diana has often referred to Raine in the press as a “bully.”

But after Diana’s marriage to Prince Charles had collapsed, she reportedly reconciled with her stepmother and they were on good terms until Diana’s death in 1997. Here they are that same year at an charity auction.

Diana And Dodi Have Fun In The Sun

Michel Dufour/WireImage

Later in her life, Diana began dating Dodi Fayed, the son of Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed. The summer of 1997, Diana accepted Fayed's invitation to vacation with his family in the south of France, after the Royal Protection squad decided Fayed’s security was enough to keep her safe. Fayed’s father even purchased a multimillion-dollar yacht to entertain Diana and her sons.

This photo from July 17, 1997 depicts Diana and Dodi enjoying their time on the yacht in St. Tropez – a little over a month before they would both be tragically killed in that infamous Paris car crash.

Years before this unbridled joy, she was enveloped in a romance with the heir apparent as you'll soon see…

Diana Arrives At A Party In Her "Revenge Dress"

Anwar Hussein/WireImage

In June 1994, Diana arrived at a party hosted by Vanity Fair in what became known as her "Revenge Dress." Designed by Christina Stambolian, the slinky black dress was form-fitting and off-the-shoulder – which was completely against royal protocol. However, Diana had good reason to go out in public on this day.

That same night, a tell-all documentary premiered on television that was supposed to put Prince Charles in a sympathetic light following the announcement of his separation from Diana. However, he pretty much confessed to committing adultery on camera, which only made people more sympathetic to Diana.

Diana's Hair Was Always A Hot Topic

Georges De Keerle/Getty Images

Throughout much of her public life, Diana was revered as a style icon. But through her outfits and daring makeup looks, one thing that seemed to stay relatively the same was her hair. Diana was known for her perfectly coiffed, ashy-blonde short hair.

Sometimes her signature pixie-length hair would be blown out in a way that was popular for the late '80s, like this photo of her in Australia from 1988. Diana was very secretive of her haircuts, getting little by little done over several weeks so that the media didn’t notice and it wouldn’t distract from her charity work.

Dazzling In Red

Imgur

After her separation from Prince Charles, Diana had more freedom. That included her wardrobe. Not only was she newly-single for the first time (remember she married Charles when she was 20-years-old!) she was also bouncing back from a cheating husband.

Post-separation, Diana's outfits became statements, and many believed they were a reflection of how she was feeling at the time. This fiery red dress she wore screams confidence and positive energy.

Young Diana Poses In A Black Hat On Summer Vacation

Central Press/Getty Images

This is a photo of a young Diana Spencer taken on vacation in West Sussex during the summer of 1971. She was around ten years old in this photo. She grew up in Park House on the Sandringham Estate, which her parents leased from Queen Elizabeth II herself.

Diana was initially home-schooled, but by the time this photo was taken she started attending an all-girls boarding school called Riddlesworth Hall School. Throughout her youth, Diana was a talented pianist, swimmer, diver, and dancer in ballet and tap dancing. One of her jobs as a young adult was a youth dancing instructor.

Diana Holds Hands With Mother Teresa

Anwar Hussein/Getty Images

On June 18, 1997, Princess Diana was seen in the Bronx borough of New York City with the iconic Mother Teresa. Diana visited Mother Teresa's Hospice in Calcutta, India back in 1992 and she maintained a friendship with the saint ever since.

Upon Diana’s death, Mother Teresa sent a message that read: "She was very concerned for the poor. She was very anxious to do something for them, and it was beautiful. That is why she was close to me." Mother Teresa passed away just six days after Diana’s fatal accident.

Princess Diana Sits Down With Landmine Victims

Tim Graham/Getty Images

Princess Diana is best remembered for her good works and frequent involvement with charities across the globe. One such example was HALO Trust, a British charity and American non-profit that worked to remove debris and landmines from war-torn areas.

In 1997, photos of Diana visiting an Angolan minefield in a ballistic helmet surfaced, which caused politicians to accuse her of meddling in politics. But HALO stated that Diana's efforts brought awareness to their cause. While she was there, she took the time to get to know some Angolan victims at an orthopedic workshop, as depicted in this photo.

Lady Diana Spencer Had A Lot To Think About

Tim Graham/Getty Images

Diana looks thoughtful as she waits by a car following a polo match in Windsor after the Ascot races on June 16, 1981. Perhaps she was having cold feet – or maybe she was bottling excitement – as she was due to wed Prince Charles a month later.

She would go from Lady Diana Spencer to Diana, Princess of Wales after a whirlwind engagement that lasted just five months. We'd be nervous too if we knew we were about to marry into one of the most prominent families on the planet!

Diana Was A Lady In Red

Georges De Keerle/Getty Images

Diana was spotted arriving at St. Mary's Hospital in Paddington on March 1, 1989. It seemed that the paparazzi we’re always there to capture the latest on Diana’s whereabouts. The paparazzi still try to hound the royal family today, but perhaps no one had it worse than Diana – especially after her acrimonious split from Prince Charles.

In the BBC documentary Diana, 7 Days, Prince William says, "About every single time she went out there’d be a pack of people waiting for her… [they] followed her, chased her, harassed her, called her names, spat at her, tried to get a reaction to get that photograph of her lashing out, get her upset."

Diana Enjoys A Picnic Hosted By The Saudi Royal Family

Jayne Fincher/Getty Images

In November 1986, Princess Diana and Prince Charles visited Saudi Arabia, where they attended a picnic in the desert near Riyadh. Dressed in a Catherine Walker design, Diana enjoyed the company of the Saudi Royal Family that hosted the Prince and Princess of Wales in a Bedouin tent.

While there, Princess Diana and Prince Charles watched horse races and visited Riyadh's historic Masmak fortress. Princess Diana personally visited a home for handicapped children. This was on the last leg of the Middle East tour that they took during the ’80s.

Thoughtful In Floral

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Here, a photographer snapped a candid shot of Diana. This was taken at a desert picnic in Saudi Arabia in November 1986, as she and Charles were on a Royal tour of Saudi Arabia. This blue floral outfit is yet another by favored designer Catherine Walker.

Auctioneers who later sold some of Diana's iconic wardrobe wrote of it, she "tried to conform to local customs by wearing concealing clothes but still exposed her neck and left her head uncovered," but during “evening banquets, she appeared in… long-sleeved demure dresses made especially for the tour.”