A woman who attended the country music festival in Las Vegas that became the site of the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history has spoken of how a marine, whom she met just hours before, saved her life.

At least 58 people were killed and 527 injured on Sunday when shooter Stephen Paddock opened fire on thousands of people gathered for the festival.

In a post published on Facebook, Renee Cesario, 23, explained that she and Brendan Kelly, a 21-year-old US Marine, had met two hours before the Route 91 Harvest festival.

“I left my friends so we could go up super close to the front of the end of the night,” Ms Cesario said. She described how the pair were dancing when “all of a sudden there were loud noises that sounded like fireworks”.

When the music stopped and Mr Aldean ran off stage, it became clear to the pair that the noises were shots being fired.

“Before I knew what was going on, Brendan tackled me down to the ground and covered me from the fire.

“It stopped again and he looked around to see what was happening and it just kept going. He looked at me and said, ‘We have to get out of here. We can’t stay here. It’s not safe’.”

Las Vegas shooting – in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Las Vegas shooting – in pictures Las Vegas shooting – in pictures People scramble for shelter at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival after gun fire was heard Getty Las Vegas shooting – in pictures People carry a person at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival after shots were fired David Becker/Getty Las Vegas shooting – in pictures People run from the Route 91 Harvest country music festival after gun fire was heard David Becker/Getty Las Vegas shooting – in pictures A handout photo released via Twitter by Eiki Hrafnsson (@EirikurH) showing concertgoers running away from the scene (C) after shots range out at the Route 91 Harvest festival on Las Vegas Boulevard EPA/Eiki Hrafnsson Las Vegas shooting – in pictures People lie on the ground at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival after hearing gun fire Getty Las Vegas shooting – in pictures A man in a wheelchair is taken away from the Route 91 Harvest country music festival after hearing gun fire David Becker/Getty Las Vegas shooting – in pictures People stand on the street outside the Mandalay Bay hotel near the scene of the Route 91 Harvest festival on Las Vegas Boulevard EPA/Paul Buck Las Vegas shooting – in pictures FBI agents confer in front of the Tropicana hotel-casino after a mass shooting during a music festival on the Las Vegas Strip Reuters/Las Vegas Sun/Steve Marcus Las Vegas shooting – in pictures Las Vegas police run by a banner on the fence at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival grounds after shots were fired David Becker/Getty Las Vegas shooting – in pictures An injured person is tended to in the intersection of Tropicana Ave. and Las Vegas Boulevard after a mass shooting at a country music festival Ethan Miller/Getty Las Vegas shooting – in pictures Metro Police officers pass by the front of the Tropicana hotel-casino after a mass shooting at a music festival on the Las Vegas Strip Reuters/Las Vegas Sun/Steve Marcus Las Vegas shooting – in pictures A woman sits on a curb at the scene of a shooting outside of a music festival along the Las Vegas Strip AP/John Locher Las Vegas shooting – in pictures A cowboy hat lays in the street after shots were fired near a country music festival in Las Vegas Getty Las Vegas shooting – in pictures Las Vegas Metro Police and medical workers stage in the intersection of Tropicana Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard South after a mass shooting at a music festival on the Las Vegas Strip Reuters/Las Vegas Sun/Steve Marcus Las Vegas shooting – in pictures Sheriff Joe Lombardo (2-R) speaking during a press briefing in the aftermath of the active shooter incident on Las Vegas Boulevard EPA

Ms Cesario was pulled up out of the piles of people around them and the pair started running. Mr Kelly kept telling her it would be OK and to keep running until they were safe.

“The whole night he didn’t leave my side,” she said.

Ms Cesario’s older sister Jenn was trying to get hold of her, but didn’t know she had lost her phone while running. She then received a text message from Mr Kelly’s phone explaining what had happened.

“When we finally were able to talk I felt a huge relief that her voice was on the other line, and she wasn’t hurt,” she told CBS News. “I still get completely sick not knowing if she was going to stay safe,” she said.