A British woman has spoken about how she saved her sister’s life when she was attacked by a crocodile.
Georgia Laurie, 31, punched the reptile in the face when it attacked her twin Melissa when they went for a swim in a lagoon in Puerto Escondido, Mexico.
Georgia, who fought off the crocodile three times, is now being rewarded for her bravery and will become the first to receive the King’s Gallantry Medal from King Charles.
Georgia said: ‘I feel really privileged, it’s a silver lining to have come out of the terrible ordeal… it kind of softens the whole traumatic experience.
‘It’s been a good thing for not just me but for the whole family, I feel like I have to share it with my sister because, let’s face it, I don’t think I would have been nominated for it if she didn’t survive.
‘What’s made this story so incredible is Melissa’s unwavering bravery throughout it all because she was so strong during it and I don’t think I would be here without her, she really gave me the strength to keep fighting.’
Speaking about the incident in 2021, Melissa said: ‘I saw the outline of its head above the water and its eyes. It was silent and perfectly still at this point,’ Melissa told the Mail in 2021.
‘I knew in that moment we were in trouble. I screamed, “S***. It’s a crocodile, we need to turn back immediately.” My heart rate shot up. I was so scared.’
The crocodile then attacked the pair without mercy, grabbing hold of Melissa and repeatedly dragging her under the water, inflicting gaping wounds all over her body.
She was saved by Georgia though, who in a feat of superhuman resilience and courage repeatedly attacked the crocodile with everything she had, punching it on the nose until it finally released her sister.
Melissa said: ‘My mind was racing with all these thoughts. I thought, ‘I’m never going to see my family again, I’m never going to see my twin sister again.’
‘My initial thought was she’s going to have to deal with getting my body back to the UK. I thought I was about to die. Then I passed out.’
As the crocodile grabbed Melissa’s left foot in a renewed assault, Georgia began beating it on the nose with her fists: ‘I had to fight it off, I started bashing it and bashing it with both fists; just thumping it. It felt rock hard, like punching a wall.’
The animal swam away but came back seconds later for a renewed assault, grabbing hold of Melissa’s left foot and then again biting her upper thigh and bottom. Each time it attacked, Georgia fended off the beast by punching it with every ounce of strength she had.
‘I was exhausted from the fight, but I just kept punching it,’ Georgia said.
‘It felt like the attack went on forever. I don’t know how long it went on. I was scared that it would come back and then we would both be dead.’
Eventually the crocodile swam away, and the girls were pulled to safety by a rescue boat. Blood was everywhere, and Melissa was vomiting up a mixture of blood and filthy water.
She eventually developed sepsis from her wounds and was placed in an induced coma while she recovered.
Georgia added: ‘The further away it gets, the less it feels real.
‘But then something like this happens and it puts it all back into perspective again, like wow, that actually did happen, it’s a crazy story.
‘Because when you think about it, it does sound like a horror movie, but it’s part of the tapestry of our life.’
Also receiving the prestigious award is police officer Zach Printer, who confronted gunman Jake Davison unarmed on 12 August, 2021 in Keyham, Plymouth.
Davison killed his mother Maxine, 51, and then shot dead three-year-old Sophie Martyn, her father Lee, 43, Stephen Washington, 59, and Kate Shepherd, 66, in a horrific mass shooting spree.
PC Printer immediately sprinted towards the 22-year-old, telling him to stand still in the hope he could talk him down. Davison then took his own life.
The officer was acknowledged for his ‘selfless and brave actions’ while confronting Davison, which prevented further harm to others.
In 2022, two US tourists were bitten by a crocodile at Mexican resort further south from where Melissa was bitten.
Daniel Kuzbiel and Joshua Rotkvich, both of Colorado, were injured by the reptile at the popular Mexican resort town of Puerto Vallarta on the country’s west coast.
As Kuzbiel was attacked, Rotkvich swam into the water to help. He suffered injuries to his right arm and groin.
The attack occurred about a year after 18-year-old Kiana Hummel was attacked by a crocodile in the same area. Hummel’s life was saved after four bystanders fought off the reptile, including a hotel employee armed with a piece of wood, according to Mexico News Daily.
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