Twin sisters who fought off crocodile attack to swim again in 13km race

Twin sisters who were viciously attacked by a crocodile, before one fought it off, are to swim again in a river race, despite initial fears over getting back into the water.

Georgia and Melissa Laurie were swimming in a lagoon near Puerto Escondido, Mexico, in June 2021, when they spotted a crocodile coming for them.

Speaking to Yalda Hakim on Sky News’ The World, the twins recounted the attack that left them fearing they would both die – and the heroic rescue that turned things around.

Now, the sisters are planning to get back into the water, with a 13km river swim.

Melissa, who was attacked and dragged under by the crocodile, told Sky News: “We’re actually getting back into the water, it was Georgia’s crazy idea for us to swim the Thames marathon, so 13km.

“We have been doing some training. At first getting back into the water was scary and things like getting tired was a trigger and having water go into my lungs, that would remind me of drowning.

“But I think the more that we start swimming the more we’ll get used to being back in the water.”

Georgia, from Sandhurst in Berkshire, described how the sisters had headed off to see the bioluminescence on the day of the attack, but timed it wrong so were unable to, so instead went for a walk along a beach.

With the sun out, and weather lovely, they went for a swim as well, but it was then Melissa saw the crocodile coming for them.

Georgia told Sky News: “We started swimming frantically away and the next thing I hear is Melissa screaming because it had taken her underwater.

“It was a pretty scary moment, at that point I thought that one of us was going to die I just didn’t know who it would be.”

Melissa described a friend reaching out for her, about to pull her to safety, before the crocodile “snatched” her hand away and “dragged” her back underwater for a second time.

During the “brute force” attack, she said her life began flashing before her eyes, but it was then her sister Georgia launched a desperate attempt to save her.

Georgia said: “It was a very visceral, primal response. That was the only choice I had right?

“I went back to try and find her and saw her body floating towards me in the mangroves and that’s when the fight began because the crocodile came back and it snatched her away from me.

“So I started punching it. Just going hell for leather really.”

She added: “I didn’t know if I was going to live myself… when I saw her I thought she was dead.”

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Georgia repeatedly punched the crocodile in the face until the twins could escape.

Both women were seriously hurt but survived after treatment.

Melissa survived with an open fracture to her wrist, severe puncture wounds to the abdomen and several injuries to her leg and foot, while Georgia was bitten on her hand.

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Georgia will also receive the King’s Gallantry Medal, which acknowledges exemplary acts of bravery.

She said the medal was an “honour” that left her “so shocked”.

“I didn’t see it coming, I didn’t expect it,” she 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.”

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