HEARTBREAKING REVELATION: The Surgeon Who Operated on Princess Diana Chokes Up Describing the Crash Scene — “I Didn’t Dare Look at Diana’s Face…”
More than two decades after the tragic car crash that claimed the life of Princess Diana, a powerful and emotional testimony has emerged from the man who was among the first medical professionals at the scene. Dr. Jean-Marc Martino, the French surgeon who treated Diana in the final moments of her life, has spoken publicly in a rare and deeply moving interview, reliving the harrowing night of August 31, 1997.
“I arrived less than 30 seconds after the crash,” Dr. Martino recalled, his voice shaking. “There was chaos… flashing lights, the sound of metal still settling, and the eerie silence that follows something unspeakable.”
Princess Diana’s car had slammed into the 13th pillar of the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris. As the world would later come to know, the crash instantly killed the driver, Henri Paul, and Dodi Fayed, Diana’s partner. Diana, though critically injured, was still alive—barely.
Dr. Martino, who was off duty that night but happened to be nearby, rushed to the scene before even emergency crews arrived. What he found still haunts him.
“I didn’t dare look at Diana’s face right away,” he admitted, choking back emotion. “Not because I didn’t care—but because I did. She wasn’t just a patient; she was Princess Diana. I knew who she was immediately, and I feared what I would see.”
According to the doctor, Diana was conscious but in shock, murmuring faintly in English. He recalls her eyes being open for a moment, and then she slipped into unconsciousness.
“I placed my hand on her pulse and began emergency intervention as best I could. My training took over, but my heart was breaking.”
Diana was rushed to the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital where she underwent hours of surgery. Despite valiant efforts from a team of world-class specialists, her injuries—particularly a massive tear in a pulmonary vein—were too severe. She was declared dead at 4:00 a.m.
“I still wonder, even now, if there was anything else I could have done,” Dr. Martino said quietly. “We tried everything.”
His interview has sparked a wave of renewed mourning and reflection throughout the UK and beyond. Candlelight tributes have once again been placed at Kensington Palace, and social media is flooded with emotional responses under hashtags like #RememberDiana and #NeverForgotten.
For many, hearing the surgeon’s firsthand account adds a deeper layer of humanity and tragedy to the already devastating loss of the People’s Princess. It reminds the world that behind the headlines, behind the conspiracy theories and media frenzy, there was a woman—wounded, vulnerable, and ultimately unable to be saved.
“I wish I could have done more,” Dr. Martino said, tears in his eyes. “But I hope, in those final moments, she knew she wasn’t alone.”
