A heroic Brit used his body as a human shield to save his beloved fiancée as gunmen massacred at least 37 tourists in the Tunisia hotel attack.
Courageous gas engineer Matthew James was shot three times as he put his life on the line to protect wife-to-be Sarah Wilson...
Speaking from the hospital where Matthew is recovering from a shattered pelvis and a heart attack, Sarah, 26, said: "He took a bullet for me. I owe him my life because he threw himself in front of me when the shooting started.
"He was covered in blood from the shots but he just told me to run away. "He told me: 'I love you babe. But just go - tell our children that their daddy loves them.'
"It was the bravest thing I've ever known. But I just had to leave him under the sunbed because the shooting just kept on coming.
"You just can't explain how terrible it was. It was chaos with screaming and gunshots.
"I'm just so glad Matthew is alive because so many other people are dead."
Engaged couple Sarah and Matthew, from Pontypridd, South Wales, left their two children Tegan, six, and Kaden, 14 months at home with their family when they jetted out to Sousse on June 21 for a two week break.
Beautician Sarah told how they headed to the beach as normal in the morning - with no idea of the horror due to unfold.
She said: "We were just on the sunbeds, messing around and having a nice time when we heard these sounds.
"It is hard to remember just exactly what was going on.
"I only saw the one man in dark clothing but people were being shot.
"Matthew put himself in front of me then he was hit, he moved and the man shot him again.
"Again he tried to move and he was shot again.
"He was shouting and blood was pouring out all over. I was screaming and it was chaos as more shots were coming out.
"We were down on the floor next to the sunbeds to shelter but the shots just kept on coming.
"He just told me to go, to look after our kids and that he loved me.
"I had to go and made it back to the hotel.
"I hid in a towel cupboard to make sure I was safe. It was dark and I could hear people walking around - it was terrifying.
"But eventually it became quieter and I came out.
"I was desperate to find out what had happened to Matthew but no-one was around to help.
"It was so badly organised with no-one to help and hardly anyone speaking English. "I didn't know if he was dead or alive.
"I kept on speaking to people and after about two hours somebody handed me a phone to say:
"I have a very grumpy man on the phone who won't do anything until he has spoken to you."
"It was Matthew and that was the first time I knew he was alive. He just told me he loved me and that he has had an operation to save his life.
"I've been to the hospital intensive care and I'm just staying here on a chair now.
"His pelvis was shattered by the bullet and he also had a heart attack.
"But he is alive. I'm just praying we can get out of here as soon as we can.
"We think it will be OK but it is difficult because not many people speak English.
"No-one knows what was going on. We have had to draw pictures to try to find out.
"We just want to get home. I know just how lucky we are to be alive because I can see all the bodies of the people who are not.
"There are bodies everywhere, some covered in blankets and some not. You can't imagine how bad it is.
"We are due to get married in the summer of 2017.
We will be the luckiest people alive because we have witnessed what no-one ever should see. Ever."
mirror.co.uk
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