Nearly three decades ago, the world was shaken by the tragic death of Princess Diana.

On August 31, 1997, Diana, 36, and her partner Dodi Fayed were fleeing photographers in Paris when their car crashed.

The Fatal Crash

Chauffeur Henri Paul reportedly lost control of the vehicle at the entrance of the Pont de l’Alma tunnel. The car first struck another vehicle, then veered left and collided with a pillar at around 65 mph.

The accident claimed the lives of Diana, Dodi, and Henri. The only survivor was Dodi’s bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones.

A Firefighter at the Scene

Emergency crews rushed to the site, and firefighter Xavier Gourmelon was among the first to arrive. He recalled that he didn’t immediately realize who the injured woman was, only noticing a “blonde woman” conscious in the back seat.

While holding her hand and offering reassurance, he says Diana spoke her final words: “My God, what’s happened?” Moments later, she went into cardiac arrest.

Attempts to Save Her Life

Diana was taken to Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. Gourmelon told The Sun about the moments he fought to save her:

“I massaged her heart and a few seconds later she started breathing again. It was a relief of course because, as a first responder, you want to save lives – and that’s what I thought I had done.”

He admitted he believed she would survive: “To be honest, I thought she would live. As far as I knew when she was in the ambulance she was alive and I expected her to live. But I found out later she had died in hospital. It was very upsetting. I know now that there were serious internal injuries, but the whole episode is still very much in my mind.”

Gourmelon added: “The memory of that night will stay with me forever. I had no idea then that it was Princess Diana. It was only when she had been put into the ambulance that one of the paramedics told me it was her.”

Worldwide Mourning

News of Diana’s death sparked global grief. Tens of thousands visited Kensington Palace to leave flowers and pay respects. Her funeral, broadcast worldwide, was watched by an estimated 2.5 billion people, a testament to the immense impact she left behind.