On this day (31 August) in 1997, a car crash in Paris resulted in Diana's death.
It's one of the most famous moments in history, as she'd been in a car speeding away from a hotel while being pursued by paparazzi.
The car was being driven by Henri Paul, deputy head of security at the Ritz Paris, who was later found to have been almost four times over the legal limit for alcohol.
Also in the vehicle, a Mercedes-Benz S 280 Saloon, were Diana's partner Dodi Fayed and bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones.
The car was driven into the Pont de l'Alma tunnel while being pursued and crashed, with Paul and Fayed being pronounced dead at the scene.
Diana died later on in hospital (Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images)Diana was pronounced dead later on in hospital, while Rees-Jones survived the crash despite sustaining multiple serious injuries.
Given that a horrific crash had occurred, emergency services rushed to the scene and among them was firefighter Xavier Gourmelon, who heard Princess Diana's final words.
Speaking to Good Morning Britain on the 20th anniversary of her death, the firefighter explained that he was there to hear her final words.
He recounted: "She looked at me and said, ‘Oh my God, what’s happened?’
"I tried to calm her down and tell her we’d look after her, and she fell into a coma again.”
Gourmelon said that when they were responding to the crash, they didn't know who was in the car at first, and he didn't recognise that it was Princess Diana who was speaking to him.
The crash occurred on 31 August, 1997. (PIERRE BOUSSEL/AFP via Getty Images)He said that she was 'agitated' at first before losing consciousness again.
She was still in the wreckage of the car at that point and when they took her from the vehicle, she went into cardiac arrest.
He said: "At that moment, the doctor said she was in cardiac arrest. So, we gave her CPR and after 20 seconds, she regained consciousness, and we transferred her to the ambulance."
The firefighter said he couldn't see injuries on her body and thought she'd make a full recovery if she could be taken to hospital.
However, she died after another cardiac arrest in the hospital which she couldn't be resuscitated from.
A French investigation into the crash placed the blame on Henri Paul, while a British inquest delivered a verdict of unlawful killing through grossly negligent driving by Paul and the paparazzi following them.Featured Image Credit: Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images/PIERRE BOUSSEL/AFP via Getty Images/
Published 15:28 16 Jun 2024 GMT+1
Princess Diana’s tragic final words revealed to the public by firefighter on scene
The firefighter thought Princess Diana would survive her injuries that night
In 1997, Princess Diana died in a fatal car crash in France, and what her final words were has plagued the British public ever since.
Beloved by all, Diana - who was just 36 when she passed away - is still known by the nation as the ‘People’s Princess’ thanks to her caring nature and desire to help those in need.
Even though it has been 25 years since the crash, there has been a lot of confusion about what may have happened on that fateful day.
What we know is that at the time Diana had been traveling in a car with her boyfriend Dodi Fayed on the 31 August in Paris.
The pair were accompanied by Diana’s driver and Dodi’s bodyguard in the car; however, something quickly went wrong after a total of nine journalists chased the princess through the Pont de l'Alma underpass.
According to reports, the driver, Henri Paul, lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a column in the underpass, killing himself and Dodi almost instantly and leaving Diana and bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones severely injured.
Firefighters arrived at the scene along with emergency services to see how they could recover the injured so they could be transported to the hospital.
That’s when firefighter Xavier Gourmelon captured the princess’ final words.
On the 20th anniversary of her death, the French native spoke to Good Morning Britain about what she said to him.
Diana died in 1997. (Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)He shared that when he and his crew approached the scene, nobody knew who was in the crash and didn’t recognise the princess.
He went on to share that she was unconscious when he first approached, but she regained consciousness, with Gourmelon sharing: “She looked at me and said, ‘Oh my God, what’s happened?’”.
The former firefighter said that she appeared ‘agitated’ at first before losing consciousness again.
He said: “I tried to calm her down and tell her we’d look after her, and she fell into a coma again.”
Three out of four passengers died in the crash. (PIERRE BOUSSEL/AFP via Getty Images)He explained that when they removed her from the car wreck, things took a turn for the worse.
He explained: “At that moment, the doctor said she was in cardiac arrest. So, we gave her CPR and after 20 seconds, she regained consciousness, and we transferred her to the ambulance.”
Noting how he could only see injuries to her shoulder and that she didn’t have any blood on her, he thought she was going to make a full recovery once she arrived at the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris.
But it was at 4.00am that the princess died after another cardiac arrest which surgeons could not resuscitate her from.
According to Christopher Andersen in King: The Life of Charles III, the news of Diana’s passing reached Buckingham Palace and to her ex-husband’s ears, who apparently was ‘ashen and trembling’ when he heard.
Anderson said: "He let out a cry of pain that was so spontaneous and came from the heart. Palace staff rushed over to Charles' room and found him collapsed in an armchair, weeping uncontrollably."Featured Image Credit: Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images/PIERRE BOUSSEL/AFP via Getty Images
Published 22:31 29 Dec 2023 GMT
Brits not happy as New Year’s Honours list is revealed
The New Year's Honours list is full of amazing people, except one person who social media users are livid over
There are few things in this world that have incredible social standing, but being knighted might top the list.
It’s a tradition here in the UK that a long list of notable people who have done tremendous amounts of work for the public or economy are honoured through knighthood, and some are even given titles.
King Charles' tribute to Queen in Xmas Speech
Credit: YouTube/The Royal Family
At the end of every year, the list of people are confirmed and are announced on 29 December, but there is one name on the list for the 2024 New Year Honours that people just aren’t having.
King Charles III will be honouring over 1,000 ‘ordinary’ people who have done amazing things across the Commonwealth and the titles given are generally incredibly well-deserved... expect not everyone thinks so for one person this time around.
Let’s talk a look at the main Honours for 2024 and see why people are getting so up in arms.
The Archbishop of Canterbury
The King has made the Archbishop of Canterbury a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (RVO) in recognition of his prominent role in the coronation.
Samir Hussein/WireImageGame Of Thrones star Emilia Clarke
Clarke, who thought she was going to die from a brain bleed after surviving two aneurysms, has been made an MBE for setting up a charity to help those with brain disorders.
Great British Bake Off's Paul Hollywood
Hollywood has been made an MBE for his services to baking and broadcasting.
Michael Eavis CBE
The Glastonbury co-founder was knighted for his services to music and charity - and also presumably for creating fab festivals.
Tony Blackburn
The Veteran broadcaster has been made an OBE after almost six decades on the BBC and commercial radio stations.
Former Cabinet minister Sajid Javid
The Bromsgrove MP, who has been knighted for his political and public services, has recently been calling for MP’s to undergo suicide prevention training to save lives and is also outspoken about changing how we talk about women’s safety.
Dan Kitwood/Getty ImagesX Factor winner Leona Lewis
The singer has been made an OBE for services to music and charity... and maybe also due to her hit song, Bleeding Love?
Sir Ridley Scott
The Alien director has been awarded an upgraded knighthood.
Jilly Cooper
Author Jilly Cooper said she is 'incredibly bowled over' after being given a damehood in the New Year Honours list.
Tim Martin
The Wetherspoon boss has been knighted, which has caused the ultimate stir online after the outspoken businessman was added to the list of Honours.
Being renowned for lobbying for Brexit, among other not-so-popular opinions, online users were up in arms about his inclusion on the list.
Someone online claimed: “If Tim Martin, Jacob Rees Mogg and Michael Fabricant have got knighthoods, then Knighthoods are worthless.
HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP“You couldn’t f**king pay me to wear one of those medals now. A Jim’ll Fix It badge’d be less crass.”
While another pointed out "Tim Martin's Wetherspoons is going bankrupt due to Brexit, which he paid 200k to support. But he is getting a Knighthood."
However, there are those who support him too, such as this X user who said: “Sir Tim Martin a fantastic British entrepreneur, restorer of dilapidated old buildings and the employer of 43,000 people.
"He has paid in excess of £6 billion in tax over the past decade. What a great man. Who agrees?”
As for the rest of the list of Honours, ex-Leeds Rhinos players Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield made CBEs too, but this wasn’t contested by online users as Rob Burrow’s documentary about living with MND touched hearts across the UK as he shared his story about going from being a rugby player to being diagnosed with motor neurone disease.
George Wood/Getty ImagesLionesses' goalkeeper Mary Earps has also been recognised, and it’s no surprise considering she has gained quite the following on social media following her knockout performance during the FIFA Women's World Cup.
Also included is author Kate Mosse, who has been awarded a CBE, and the father of the late teenager Molly Russell, who said the 14-year-old would have been 'very proud' of her legacy of suicide prevention as he was made an MBE.
Renowned TV presenter Jeff Stelling has also been made an MBE - considering he has a large fanbase due to his career on Gillette Soccer Saturday for Sky Sports and hosting coverage for the Champions League, we’re not shocked there.
Published 16:29 21 Jun 2024 GMT+1
Final words of man who died after being electrocuted in jacuzzi on holiday shared by widow
Lizzette Zambrano has spoken out about tragically losing her husband Jorge Guillen during a holiday in Mexico.
The widow of a man who tragically died after being electrocuted in a jacuzzi while on holiday has revealed the haunting final words her late husband uttered.
Lizzette Zambrano, 35, has told of her heartbreak after losing her beloved partner Jorge Guillen, 43, during a trip to a resort in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico.
The couple, from Texas, had been enjoying a break in the holiday hotspot when they climbed into a jacuzzi at the private resort just after 8:30pm on 11 June, according to officials in the state of Sonora.
Jorge simply put his foot inside of the hot tub when he fell into an electric circuit and got trapped underwater, while his wife was also jolted by the current and suffered the same ordeal.
Eyewitnesses noticed that the pair were not moving in the water and alerted emergency services before attempting to administer CPR, according to the General Prosecutor's Office.
The Good Samaritans who tried to help were also reportedly shocked by the water due to what has been described as an 'electrical discharge'.
Lizzette Zambrano has spoken out about the loss of her husband, Jorge Guillen. (GoFundMe)Jorge and Lizzette were rushed to hospital following the incident, where he was sadly pronounced dead and she was left in a critical condition.
The widow has since filed a lawsuit in their home city of El Paso, Texas, for wrongful death and negligence, alleging that resort staff took 10 minutes to respond and that the hotel didn't warn guests about the dangers.
Tej Paranjpe, an attorney at PMR law - a Houston-based firm that is taking the case on - said that the incident is 'terrifying' and claimed no member of staff intervened while Jorge was 'getting continuously shocked again and again underwater'.
"There is no reason this should have happened," Paranjpe said.
"Hotels and resorts have a duty to ensure guest safety. At no point did resort staff think to engage an emergency shut-off, not to mention warn guests of a faulty, dangerous amenity."
Now Lizette has spoken out about the tragedy, saying that she believes it 'could have been prevented'.
Speaking with ABC News' Good Morning America about the loss of her husband, she tearfully said: "I still can't believe it. A very good man was taken away."
The widow says she 'wants somebody to take accountability'. (Good Morning America)Lizette claims that faulty wiring sent a live current into the water, which caused Jorge's death.
Recalling his final words, the heartbroken widow explained: "I want somebody to take accountability for what happened to my husband and myself.
"The last thing I remember him saying is, 'Oh s**t'.
"It's the same time that I felt the first electric shock, and then it happened over and over and over, and I didn't hear him again. A lot of people jumped in but they kept jumping out because the shocks were so strong."
Lizette was dragged out of the water with a pulse before being rushed to hospital, where she then overheard nurses say that her husband 'didn't make it'.
Hot tub electrocution caused by faulty lighting and pumps is a rare occurrence, but vigilance is still key to make sure that equipment is properly taken care off, experts say.
Since the tragic incident, a GoFundMe has been set up to help with medical expenses and to repatriate Jorge's body.
It says: "Our best friends have experienced a horrible accident. Jorge had a heart of gold and was always there for family and friends. The love they shared was one for ages.
"We are asking for your help to bring him home and help with medical expenses for her."
At the time of writing, the GoFundMe has raised $56,326 (£44,606) of its $60,000 (£47,500) goal.
If you want to donate, click here.
LADbible Group previously contacted Sonoran Sea Resort for comment.Featured Image Credit: Good Morning America/GoFundMe
Updated 21:09 18 Apr 2024 GMT+1Published 21:04 18 Apr 2024 GMT+1
Chilling final words of pilot before Air France plane crashed into Atlantic killing 228
The black box recordings are all what investigators had to help piece the aviation tragedy together
You can only imagine what is going through the minds of pilots who are flying a plane which is plummeting towards the Atlantic Ocean in free fall - but chilling recordings from the cockpit can help us fill in the blanks.
Harrowing audio captured the final conversations between captain Marc Dubois, 58, and his two co-pilots David Robert, 37, and Pierre-Cédric Bonin, 32, as they realised their doomed fate on Air France Flight 447.
All 228 onboard - made up of 12 crew members and 216 passengers - were killed when the Airbus A330-203 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean while flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris on 1 June, 2009.
The fear of those flying the plane is evident in the voices that are heard in the final recordings, which were taken as they began to nosedive towards the icy water beneath them - as the jet disappeared without authorities being alerted.
(Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images)Days later, debris from the AirFrance jet was found floating among the waves, sparking a two-year search of the depths of the sea totalling up to costs of £27million.
One of the findings search crews made were the black box recorders, which held key information about what had occurred in the air that resulted in 288 people losing their lives.
These electronic recording devices revealed that the plane's speed sensors - known as pitot tubes - had become blocked and iced up as the jet tried to make its way to Paris through a storm.
(PATRICK KOVARIK/AFP via Getty Images)Due to this, the plane's systems were producing faulty data for the flight.
The autopilot on the Airbus A330-203 was disabled, while the pilots were left trying to decipher confusing data regarding their speed and altitude, which eventually saw them decide to resume manual piloting.
But Dubois, Robert and Bonin were following the incorrect navigation data while battling through bad weather.
When the plane entered an aerodynamic stall, the trio mistakenly pointed the nose of the jet upwards instead of down.
This resulted in the Air France flight starting to tumble from the sky as the pilots had a panicked conversation.
(MAURICIO LIMA/AFP via Getty Images)One began: "We’ve lost our speeds!"
"I don’t know what’s happening," another concerned voice said.
Bonin then was later heard exclaiming: "Let’s go! Pull up, pull up, pull up!"
"F***, we're going to crash! It's not true! But what's happening?" Robert screamed.
It's unclear who spoke next, but they seemed to know their fate as someone said: "F***, we're dead."
The 205-tonne plane had plummeted 11,500metres from the sky in just four minutes and 24 seconds, tragically killing everyone on board.
All that was left was the terrified cries of the pilots for investigators to help piece what had happened together.
In 2023, a court in Paris ruled that Air France and Airbus were not guilty of manslaughter for the deaths of those on board.
