We did all we could: Doctor reveals battle to save Diana's life

A doctor yesterday described the desperate fight to save Princess Diana's life.

Anaesthetist Daniel Eyraud said a team of eight hospital staff battled for nearly two hours to keep the princess alive after her heart stopped.

The inquest into her death heard that despite administering massive doses of adrenaline, repeated electric shocks and extended heart massages the medics failed to revive her and were finally forced to accept defeat.

Diana had been taken to Paris's Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital after being pulled from the wreckage of the Mercedes in the early hours of August 31, 1997.

She had already been resuscitated once after her heart stopped at the scene of the crash in the Pont de l'Alma Tunnel.

An X-ray at the hospital revealed that she had suffered a haemorrhage, causing massive internal bleeding and putting extreme pressure on her right lung and her heart.

At 2.10am, moments before surgeons opened her chest to try to relieve the pressure, Diana's heart stopped for a second time.

Dr Eyraud said: "We had to perform cardiac massage at the same time as the surgeon was operating, looking for the source of the haemorrhage.

"Throughout the entire operation, cardiac massage was performed and rapid transfusions and drips administered, with massive and repeated doses of adrenaline being injected.

"We also administered several electric shocks during resuscitation in order to get her heart restarted, but to no avail."

At 4am, three and a half hours after the crash, staff gave up the fight and Diana was pronounced dead.

"We decided by common consent to stop heart massage as it was completely impossible to restore cardiac activity after such a long period," Dr Eyraud said in a statement read to Diana's inquest in London.

He added: "I personally believe we did everything possible to save the princess."

The court heard that the princess muttered 'My God' repeatedly in the immediate aftermath of the accident.

Philippe Boyer, a former fireman who treated Diana as she lay in the car, said she was "agitated" but seemed to understand what had happened.

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"She said 'My God' several times, it was repeated, but the other things she said I couldn't understand," said Mr Boyer.

He said medics lifted Diana's boyfriend Dodi Fayed directly over the injured Princess who was trapped in the rear footwell.

The jury was shown a series of pixilated close-up paparazzi photographs of Mr Fayed being carried from the vehicle and laid out on the tarmac as emergency services staff tried to restart his heart.

Mr Boyer said at that stage Diana's pulse was "fine and quite strong" and her breathing appeared normal.

Her only visible injury was to her right shoulder and there was no blood on her face.

But the princess's heart stopped minutes after firemen pulled her out of the car at around 1am, the court heard.

She was resuscitated as she was being taken to hospital by ambulance but her condition deteriorated again and the vehicle had to be stopped for five minutes to allow a doctor to treat her.

Ambulance driver Michel Massebeuf said for the rest of the journey he drove "smoothly" at between 25mph and 31mph, under doctor's orders.

The inquest has previously heard claims that the drive through central Paris was prolonged as part of a conspiracy to kill the Princess.

But Mr Massebeuf said the lower speed was to try to keep Diana stable and secure.

"Driving slowly is a rule, the sole objective of which is to preserve a casualty where necessary," he said in a statement read to the court.

Meanwhile, staff at the Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital were frantically preparing for Diana's arrival, having been given ten minutes warning that she was on her way.

Dr Eyraud said: "I knew she was in a serious condition, but had no further information."

He said Diana was unconscious when she arrived and had to be fitted with a ventilator to help her breathe.

"She was in shock, but nevertheless had a heart rhythm," he said. "Her blood pressure was very low but her heart was still beating."

The hearing continues.