I’m so happy to have my croc-fighting twin
THE British woman saved from the jaws of a crocodile by her twin said she was grateful to be alive thanks to her sister’s rescue act.
Melissa Laurie, 28, was swimming in a Mexican lagoon at twilight when the crocodile attacked, shook her “around like a rag doll” before dragging her under the water and into a death roll.
The zookeeper from Sandhurst, Berkshire was only saved when her brave sister, Georgia, dived in from a boat.
Georgia, an experienced scuba diver, searched underwater before finding Melissa floating face down on the surface.
But as Georgia cradled her sister and swam to the boat, the crocodile returned to attack the pair three times, forcing Georgia to repeatedly punch the 10ft predator.
The attack took place on a lagoon near Puerto Escondido in the state of Oaxaca last Sunday.
Melissa suffered deep bites to her body, legs, hands and wrists and developed sepsis from her wounds.
She also had a suspected punctured lung so was put in a medically induced coma.
By Friday, she was conscious and breathing unaided.
Speaking from her hospital bed yesterday, Melissa said: “I am
extremely grateful that I came out of this alive – and that I had Georgia fight my side for me. So I am very happy for that.”
Yesterday, older sister Hana responded on social media: “Melissa says she’s grateful that she’s still here and that Georgia saved her life. Same babe, same!what a week…”
Georgia was discharged from hospital after being treated for hand injuries but has been at her sister’s bedside every day.
Speaking after Melissa woke up, she said: “She’s doing really much better. She recognised me and knew who I was. She seemed happy to see me.”
Mum Sue saw Melissa for the first time since the attack when Georgia sent her a photograph.
She said: “She is looking quite a bit better. She has traces of black eyes and a scratch on her face.
“She is trying to smile but it’s obvious that she is in a lot of pain.”
The twins have been backpacking around the world since March.
They are said to have taken the lagoon trip with a guide they met at a hostel, alleged to be unregistered.
The German backpacker took them to an unsafe part of the river not approved by tourist officials.