The death of Princess Diana was mourned by many people who loved and supported her, and it was even more of a shock to the rescuers who first responded to her and her companions after the accident. The fireman who pulled the princess from the wreckage even said that she was alive at the time and despite her injuries, there was no blood.
The royalty died in the early hours of August 31, 1997 after sustaining severe chest wounds. Her heart was displaced from her chest and she suffered a tear in her pulmonary vein that caused internal bleeding.
Princess Diana’s Rescuer Reveals Details About Her Accident
During a 2017 interview via The Sun, Sergeant Xavier Gourmelon finally spoke about the fatal car accident that took the life of Princess Diana. He was the fireman who rescued her and gave her first aid.
We were very close to there, and it took less than three minutes to reach it [the tunnel]. My ten-man team was in two trucks, and we arrived first. 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 and who was alive.
He later recounted how he found Princess Diana alive inside the car. She even managed to speak to him despite sustaining injuries.
The woman, who I later found out was Princess Diana, was on the floor in the back. Diana said to me, ‘My God, what’s happened?’ She was moving very slightly, and I could see she was alive. 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.
Princess Diana and her team were trying to escape the paparazzi that night with their car en route from The Ritz Paris to return to Dodi Fayed’s apartment. The driver lost control of the vehicle after a car chase ensued, resulting in a collision with the tunnel’s 13th pillar.
The rescue team arrived just in time to see Princess Diana alive. Gourmelon gave her oxygen and remained by her side until she was removed from the car.
Sergeant Xavier Gourmelon Kept The Information About Princess Diana’s Accident For 20 Years
It took years before Sergeant Xavier Gourmelon shared his story to the public because of his oath. He said that as a fireman, he was basically part of the French military and they were not permitted to speak. He told the same outlet:
Now that I have left the fire service, I felt it was OK. I can still picture the whole scene. It’s something I’ll never forget.
The death of Princess Diana has changed the landscape of British media and even the laws. The paparazzi suffered a backlash and is no longer as trusted as it used to be.
Princess Diana was 36 when she passed away. She is survived by her sons Prince William and Prince Harry.
