A woman who jumped into a river and began punching a crocodile that had her twin sister in a death roll has been recognised for her bravery by King Charles III.
Georgia Laurie, 31, from Sandhurst in England, repeatedly hit the reptile in the face after it attacked Melissa while on a volunteering vacation in Mexico in June 2021.
Georgia 'risked her life' for her sister
Georgia and Melissa were on an excursion in Mexico when a guide wrongly informed them that they could safely swim in a river off the Manialtepec Lagoon in Puerto Escondido, according to a press release from the UK Cabinet Office.
Melissa was the first to spot the crocodile swimming near them, and urged her twin and others to swim to safety on the river bank.
However, the crocodile snatched Melissa just as she was being pulled onto the bank by one of the excursion members.
Georgia initially found Melissa floating unconscious facedown in the water.
Although she managed to revive her, the reptile returned again to attack.
Georgia fought off the crocodile by punching it on the nose with one fist while holding her sister's head above water with the other.
But that was not the end of the ordeal.
The crocodile returned for a third time, death-rolling Melissa. But one last punch finally deterred the reptile from returning again.
A passing boat ended up rescuing the duo from the water.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Melissa said it all happened very quickly.
"I could feel myself losing grip of our bond when I was on the boat. I was saying 'hug me Georgia, hug me, I'm dying'… I was biting onto her shoulder to stay connected to her," Melissa said.
"She sang Stand By Me and Don't Worry About A Thing — she sang them on repeat to keep me calm. She was so brave."
Georgia sustained bite injuries to her hand while Melissa survived with an open fracture to her wrist, severe puncture wounds to the abdomen and many injuries to her leg and foot.
Showed 'exceptional bravery'
The Gallantry Medal from King Charles III recognises civilians who put themselves at risk in an attempt to save someone else.
After finding out she had been included on the list, Georgia told the UK Cabinet Office she was honoured to be receiving a medal.
"It means the world to me," she said.
"It's the silver lining of the whole event.
"I really owe everything to Mel because she gave me the strength to fight. So it means a lot to both of us and the whole family."
The sisters plan to swim England's Thames Marathon in August to raise money for two causes:
- PTSD UK
- Compañeros En Salud — a Mexican charity that provides medical aid and training to communities in Chiapas
What is the Civilian Gallantry List?
The Civilian Gallantry List recognises the bravery of people who've put themselves in danger to save, or attempt to save, someone's life.
In Georgia's case, the Cabinet Office said her twin survived the attack "almost entirely due to the exceptional bravery of her sister".
This year's Civilian Gallantry List, which includes nine people, is the first to be approved by King Charles III.