Tunisia attack: British man used body as human shield to protect fiancee

A British man shot three times on the beach used his body as a human shield to protect his fiancee from being killed by the gunman.

Gas engineer Matthew James, 30, was hit in the shoulder, chest and hip as the gunman opened fire on the sunbeds as he lay next to fiancee Sarah Wilson.

• Tunisia attack: 15 Brits confirmed dead - latest

Speaking from the hospital in Tunisia, 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.

"I ran back, past bodies on the beach to reach our hotel. It was chaos - there was a body in the hotel pool and it was just full of blood.

"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.

_{An image thought to show the Tunisia gunman}

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.

"The shooting had started and there was a man with a gun opening fire all around. 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.

_{Welsh holiday maker Matthew James who is in intensive care after being shot 3 times in the Tunisian beach massacre which left 27 dead}

"I didn't know if he was dead or alive. I was even looking under white sheets to see if it was his body.

"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.