Firefighter Who Saved Princess Diana Thought She Would Live: 'Very Upsetting'

Princess Diana was still alive after the car crash, and the firefighter who saved her thought she would make it.

Xavier Gourmelon was among the first members of the emergency services who first responded to the tunnel following Princess Diana's mobile accident. According to him, the late Princess of Wales was still breathing when they took her out of the vehicle.

"The car was in a mess and we just dealt with it like any road accident," Gourmelon recalled (via Express).

According to him, the driver was already dead. Meanwhile, the bodyguard had severe injuries while Princess Diana didn't look badly affected. In fact, there was no blood on her.

"The woman, who I later found out was Princess Diana, was on the floor in the back," he continued. "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."

In an attempt to help the late Princess of Wales, he held her hand and told her to be calm and still. They also gave her oxygen.

"I gave her some oxygen and my team and I stayed by her side as she was taken out of the car," Gourmelon added. "It was very quick because we didn't have to cut any of the wreckage."

"To be honest I thought she would live," the firefighter added. "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."

Following the accident, Prince William and Prince Harry were devastated. The Duke of Sussex even blamed the press for chasing his mom's car that resulted into the mishap. He was also brokenhearted that instead of helping Princess Diana they just stood and took photos.

However, Princess Diana's bodyguard, Ken Wharfe, believed otherwise. According to him, the accident should not be blamed on the paparazzi.

"Yes, some were pursuing Diana, but there weren't, in my view, ultimately the cause of that death," Wharfe said.