A 22-Year-Old Reveals How She Survived the Paris Shootings in Heartbreaking Facebook Post

November 16, 2015

Isobel Bowdery, a 22-year-old South African student studying in Paris, was in the Bataclan theatre when gunmen opened fire on the crowd, murdering a total of 129 people and wounding 352 others.

In a chilling Facebook post, Bowdery describes chaos and tragedy of the scene, revealing that she played dead and tried not to breathe for nearly an hour to survive as the lives of others were completely destroyed around her.

Bowdery’s post has been shared over 2.7 million times since posting it the day after the terrorist attacks.

“We naively believed it was all part of the show.

“It wasn’t just a terrorist attack. It was a massacre.

“Dozens of people were shot in front of me. Pools of blood filled the floor. Cries of grown men who held their girlfriends’ dead bodies pierced the small music venue,” she wrote.

“Shocked and alone, I pretended to be dead for over an hour, lying among people who could not see their loved ones motionless.”

“Holding my breath, trying to not move, not cry – not giving those men the fear they longed to see. I was incredibly lucky to survive. But so many didn’t,” she wrote.

Miss Bowdery claimed then gun were meticulous in shooting the victims in the “standing area” of the venue.

While she witnessed utter horror, Ms Bowdery said she also wanted to highlight the heroes as well.

“To the man who reassured me and put his life on line to try and cover my brain whilst i whimpered; to the couple whose last words of love kept me believing the good in the world; to the police who succeeded in rescuing hundreds of people; to the complete strangers who picked me up from the road and consoled me during the 45 minutes I truly believed the boy I loved was dead; to the injured man who I had mistaken for him and then on my recognition that he was not Amaury, held me and told me everything was going to be fine despite being all alone and scared himself; to the woman who opened her doors to the survivors; to the friend who offered me shelter and went out to buy new clothes so I wouldnt have to wear this blood stained top; to all of you who have sent caring messages of support – you make me believe this world has the potential to be better. To never let this happen again. But most of this is to the 80 people who were murdered inside that venue, who weren’t as lucky, who didnt’ get to wake up today and to all the pain that their friends and families are going through.”

“As I lay down in the blood of strangers and waiting for my bullet to end my mere 22 years, I envisioned every face that I have ever loved and whispered I love you, over and over again.

“Reflecting on the highlights of my life.

“Wishing that those I love knew just how much, wishing that they knew that no matter what happened to me, to keep believing in the good in people. To not let those men win.

“Last night, the lives of many were forever changed and it is up to us to be better people. to live lives that the innocent victims of this tragedy dreamt about but sadly will now never be able to fulfil. RIP angels. You will never be forgotten.”

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