THE Irish couple who survived the Bataclan theatre gun attack in Paris have revealed how they played dead to survive but did not expect to escape with their lives.
David Nolan, from Co. Cork, was attending an Eagles of Death Metal concert on Friday night with his Co. Louth girlfriend Katie Healy when three gunmen burst in and opened fire.
“We lay down on the ground among the bodies and just played dead,” Ms Healy told RTÉ News.
“It became quiet and you could hear everybody moaning and single shots began to fire and we realised the gunman were walking around killing everyone who lay with us.
“We saw the foot of a gunman walk past us and we said our goodbyes and as we realised what was about to happen to us someone opened a door somewhere and we just ran.”
Ms Healy, who is originally from Blackrock, also revealed that her boyfriend risked his life to save hers.
“He threw himself on top of me twice, both times when we fell, and covered me making sure my head and my chest was covered as best as he can,” she said.
Mr Nolan, from Millstreet, suffered a gunshot wound to his leg from one of the attackers Ak-47 rifles and his girlfriend believes they are “beyond lucky” to still be alive.
“People we stood and danced with died and we watched them die as we lay down and played dead,” she said.
The young couple were visiting Paris for the weekend. Picture: What Katie Healy DidThe couple visiting Paris for the weekend and had decided to attend the concert at the Batalcan.
“We are beyond lucky. David took me to Paris, a beautiful city and that’s how I’ll remember it. We had a great time at the concert before this happened. That’s what we’ll try and hold onto but we will never forget the people who died.”
As the Irish couple fled the theatre, a woman in a nearby home opened her gate and ushered them to safety inside her house, where she helped treat Mr Nolan’s gunshot wound.
He was later hospitalised and is now recovering in Paris after successful surgery. He will, however, face a further operation when he flies home to Cork.
On Friday, November 13th, gunmen opened fire on the Bataclan theatre in central Paris, reportedly reloading their AK-47 rifles several times and tossing grenades into the crowds before finally detonating their suicide bombs.
At the same time, five other coordinated attacks were being carried out at various locations across the city.
At least 129 people have been were killed and over 350 injured in what was the largest terrorist attack on Europe since the 2004 Madrid bombings, which claimed 191 lives.
