The Surgeon Who Operated on Diana Chokes Up Recalling the Crash: “I Didn’t Dare Look at Diana’s Face…” — 30 Seconds That Changed History
In a haunting recollection that has brought back the raw pain of a tragedy the world has never forgotten, the surgeon who operated on Princess Diana after the fatal 1997 crash in Paris has broken his silence. Speaking with deep emotion in a rare interview, he described arriving at the scene just 30 seconds after the collision — and the moment that forever changed the course of modern history.
“I didn’t dare look at Diana’s face,” he said, his voice cracking. “There was so much chaos… screaming, metal, blood. And there she was, still breathing — barely.”
Dr. Jean-Marc Martino, the senior emergency surgeon on call that night, had never spoken publicly in such detail about what he saw in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel. But decades later, with a heavy heart and misty eyes, he shared the memory that continues to haunt him.
“I was one of the first medics on the scene. I was trained for war zones, trauma centers, disasters… but nothing prepares you to cradle the People’s Princess as her life slips away,” he said.
He admitted he avoided looking directly at Diana’s face at first, fearing that acknowledging who she was would shake his ability to act swiftly. “She was more than a royal. She was a mother. A human being. And in that moment, all I could think was: don’t lose her.”
Despite the desperate efforts by medics to stabilize her at the scene and during the frantic drive to the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Diana succumbed to internal injuries in the early hours of August 31, 1997.
Dr. Martino revealed that Diana briefly regained consciousness in the ambulance and softly murmured, though he would not disclose her final words out of respect for her sons.
His tearful account has reignited emotions around the globe, as millions recall where they were that tragic night. Social media flooded with tributes under hashtags like #RememberingDiana and #DianasLastMoments.
To this day, many questions remain unanswered. But one truth echoes clearly through Dr. Martino’s words: Diana was not alone in her final hour — and those who fought to save her have never forgotten.
“I see her face in my dreams,” he whispered. “And I still wonder… if only we had arrived moments earlier.”
