Matthew James, 30, from Cardiff, was on a two-week holiday with fiancee Sarea Wilson, 26 (pictured together, left), at the Bellevue Hotel in Tunisia when gunmen attacked the nearby beach earlier today, killing 37 and leaving 36 wounded (right). Miss Wilson has told how Mr James used his body to shield her from bullets, before telling her 'I love you babe. But just go - tell our children that their daddy loves them.' The news comes as a second Briton, James McGurie, believed to be in his 60s, was reported killed in the attack at a popular tourist destination.
The British father is fighting for life after being shot three times in the stomach while trying to save his fiancee from terrorist gunmen after they attacked a tourist resort in Tunisia today.
Matthew James, 30, from Cardiff, was staying at the Bellevue Hotel in Sousse when extremists attacked the nearby beach, killing 37 and injuring 36.
His fiancee Saera Wilson, 26, has described how the couple were sunbathing by the crystal blue waters of the Mediterranean when the attack began.
Matthew James, 30, is fighting for his life after being shot three times in the stomach while trying to protect fiancee Sarea Wilson, 26, from terror gunmen who attacked Tunisia earlier today
Miss Wilson, a mother-of-two, said that after being shot, Mr James' last words to her were: 'Just go - tell our children that their daddy loves them'
Miss Wilson, who is believed to have one child by Mr James and another from a previous relationship, said her fiancee used his body as a human shield to protect her as the attackers opened fire.
She said, despite being covered in blood from the attack, he told her to run away, adding 'tell our children that their daddy loves them.'
She 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.'
The couple had left children Tegan, six, and Kaden, 14 months, at home in Cardiff, South Wales, while they travelled to Tunisia for a two week break
'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.'
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has this evening confirmed that 'at least' five Britons have been killed in the attack, including James McGuire, who is believed to be in his 60s.
However, Mr Hammond said he expected that number to rise, and said Britons were likely to make up 'a high proportion of those killed and injured.'
Tunisian media have also named the terrorist who was killed as Seifeddine Yacoubi,23, an aviation student from Kairouan, an hour's drive from Sousse.
Engaged couple Saera and Matthew left 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.
They decided to stay at the three star Bellevue hotel, which is described on its website as having eight swimming pools, easy access to the beach, and charges £140 per night.
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.
Gunmen killed 37 and wounded 36 during the attack in Sousse, Tunisia, earlier today - with witnesses saying they pulled weapons from parasols before opening fire
This evening Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has confirmed that five Britons are among those killed, including James McGuire, who is believed to be in his 60s
Staff use blankets to cover the bodies of the dead and wounded after a terror attack in Tunisia earlier today
The four star Bellevue Hotel boasts easy access to the beach, a poolside bar and a total of eight pools, each with children's sections 'ensuring that everyone is kept entertained and safe'
'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 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.
'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.
Olivia Leathley, 24, a head chef from Manchester, was also on holiday at Bellevue with boyfriend Mike Jones (right) when the shooting started
'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.'
Olivia Leathley, 24, a head chef at a restaurant in Chorlton, Manchester, was also staying at the Bellevue hotel with her boyfriend when gunfire began.
She told MailOnline: 'We would have been at the beach where it all happened but I was waiting for my phone to charge so I could listen to a new audio book.
'I said to my boyfriend that it needed another half an hour. That's the only reason we didn't go down to the beach.
'We then heard this bang which we thought was just the reps messing around with some fireworks.
'We looked out from our balcony and we saw everyone running from the beach screaming. All the reps were shepherding everybody shouting " get away from the beach".
'We went down to the lobby to see what we should do when we heard a shot from inside the hotel. Somebody just shouted "run!" so we sprinted off in all directions.
'The machine gun fire was so close, it sounded like it was right behind us.
'I was on the phone to my dad, screaming at the top of my lungs and telling him "I love you, I love you".
'My dad was saying "I love you" and shouting prayers down the phone, begging "Lord, protect them".
'We eventually found an office building and hide in a rom with no windows. As soon as I got somewhere safe, I threw up.'
She said she later passed a pregnant woman who she believed had gone into labour as a result of the ordeal.
She said: 'She seemed quite early in her pregnancy.'
Ellie Makin, from Ripon, who was on holiday with friend Debbie Horsfall from Huddersfield, said she saw a gunman pull a weapon from an umbrella on the beach while they were sunbathing.
She told ITV News: 'He was to the right of me because we were on the last sun bed on the beach.
'All of a sudden I got up anyway and just happened to look right and all I saw was a gun and an umbrella being dropped.
'Then he started firing to the right hand side of us. If he had fired to the left I don't know what would have happened, but we were very lucky.'
Bullet holes riddle the windows of hotel buildings in the popular tourist destination of Sousse, where the seafront is lined with luxury resorts
Briton Olivia Leathley told of how after the attacks began she ran to the lobby of Bellevue Hotel, where she was staying, before hearing gunshots ring out nearby
Blood covers the steps leading up to one hotel following today's terror attack in Tunisia
Ms Horsfall added: 'We were on the beach sunbathing, then the next thing we heard gunfire and Ellie shouted "gun, run" over and over.
'We got up and ran as fast as we could to our hotel reception. We just saw panic, everyone just got up and fled as soon as we realised it was gunfire.'
The pair ran back to their hotel where other residents had gathered in the foyer but were in danger again when a gunman fired shots into the building.
Ms Makin said. 'A guy ran up into the hotel and started shooting again and everyone fled. He was just below us, if we'd have walked down the stairs we'd have met him halfway.
'We got split up. I ran to a room upstairs with somebody and their kids and we hid. We were told to go to our room even though it was ground floor near where the shooting was, but I refused.'
Via - Dailymail
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