One Direction Liam Payne Is A Life Savor According To Burn Victim Andy Samuels Who Can Still Remember His Best Friend Trying To 'Beat Out The Flames with His Hands'

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In his first interview since One Direction's Liam Payne saved his life from a horrific fire, Andy Samuels is certain that his bestie prevented him from dying.




The 21-year-old was rushed to the hospital after being lit on fire due to attempting to put gas into a patio heater at Payne's apartment.




Samuels underwent seven skin grafts after suffering from third degree burns.

While showing his survival scars for the first time, Samuels said "I can still see Liam trying to put out the flames with his hands."




Although Samuels endured physical harm, he couldn't imagine how bad Payne felt to see him in such a predicament.




"I was set completely on fire – terror is the only word fit to describe what I was feeling. The pain and the panic I felt is ­something no one should have to go through." said Samuels, according to Mirror 3am. "I was the one that was injured, but it was a crazy, horrible experience for Liam to witness as well.”




When his body was in flames for what seemed like an eternity to him, Samuels surely thought he was dead.




"He was trying to help me but I thought I was going to die. I was running around trying to get enough water. I tore one of his taps off the wall in such a blind panic and eventually threw myself in his shower," said Samuels. "I looked at my arm at one point and my skin was destroyed and hanging off, it was like a cheese string. I don’t remember much except thinking my life was over. It would have broken me to see my best friend like that.”




That night, Liam's girlfriend Sophia was also present. Samuels said the couple really helped by trying to keep him at peace.




“The best thing Liam and Sophia did that night for me was just reassure me and try to keep me calm until the ambulance arrived," said Samuels. "“I was in such a panic. I was also worried I’d burned the building down and they kept talking to me to keep me conscious.”




When the ambulance arrived Samuels, who is from Payne's hometown of Wolverhampton, was sped to Royal London Hospital where he was operated on the whole day.




"I had seven skin grafts where I had third-degree burns and no skin left. They took skin from my thigh so I have three grafts on my left arm, three on my chest and one on my right ankle," said Samuels. "My week in the intensive care unit is a blur. I looked so bad my family didn’t think I’d ever look like me again.”




The T-shirt entrepreneur and part-time model said Payne, his mom, and his girlfriend were constantly at his bedside, even when he had the craving for McDonald's.




"The support of Liam and my other best friend Jordan has been amazing as well. I was pretty out of it on pain medication but I remember coming to one day and just blurting out, ‘I need a McDonald’s!’ Next thing I know Liam had got his security to rush one to my bedside," told Samuels.




Samuels is grateful because the outcomes could've been much worse. Still, that night still haunts him mentally.




“I’m incredibly lucky, this could have been so much worse but the ­psychological effects outweigh the physical effects."