Firefighter Reveals Princess Diana’s Final Words at the Crash Scene in France
More than two decades after the tragic car crash that took the life of Princess Diana, a French firefighter who was among the first on the scene has spoken publicly about the heartbreaking final moments of the “People’s Princess.” His account, raw and emotional, offers new insight into what Diana experienced in her final moments — and the last words she ever spoke.
Xavier Gourmelon, a firefighter who responded to the accident in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris on August 31, 1997, has revealed what he heard as he tried to assist the gravely injured Diana in the back seat of the crashed Mercedes. According to Gourmelon, Diana was still conscious when he reached her and even appeared relatively calm despite the wreckage around her.
“She looked at me and said, ‘Oh my God, what’s happened?’” Gourmelon recalled in a rare interview. “Those were the last words she said aloud before losing consciousness.”
At the time, Gourmelon and his team had no idea they were attending to one of the most famous women in the world. “I didn’t recognize her,” he admitted. “She was not bleeding very much and she looked fine at first glance. I thought she would survive.”
Diana was quickly extracted from the vehicle and transported to the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, where she was pronounced dead a few hours later due to internal injuries. The firefighter’s testimony adds a deeply human layer to an event that has been shrouded in mystery, media frenzy, and conspiracy theories for decades.
Gourmelon, now retired, said he chose to speak out not to sensationalize the moment, but to honor Diana’s memory as a mother, a humanitarian, and a woman whose life was tragically cut short. “I remember the look in her eyes — it wasn’t fear, it was confusion, like she didn’t understand what had happened,” he said.
The revelation of Diana’s final words has struck an emotional chord with the public, especially with those who still mourn her death to this day. Social media platforms were flooded with emotional reactions, tributes, and renewed calls for justice and accountability surrounding the circumstances of the crash.
Princess Diana’s death was officially attributed to a combination of speeding and the driver’s intoxication, as well as the relentless pursuit by paparazzi. However, for many, the story has always felt incomplete, and new details like those shared by Gourmelon only deepen the emotional impact of that tragic night.
While the world may never fully know all the answers, one thing is clear: Diana’s final moments were marked not by glamour or royalty, but by simple human vulnerability — a frightened voice asking, “What’s happened?”
