Father reveals woman’s fight for life with crocodile before she was saved by twin sister
‘The crocodile put her in a death roll, turning her over and over underwater’: Father reveals woman’s fight for life before she was saved by twin sister who punched reptile ‘three times’ – as it emerges they were lead to lagoon by ‘unlicensed tour guide’
- Melissa and Georgia Laurie, 28, were swimming in a lagoon when the croc struck
- Melissa was dragged beneath the water before her sister fought off the beast
- Father said: ‘Melissa has lacerations all over her abdomen, her body, bite injuries’
- Twins’ elder sister, Hana Laurie, 33, has said the pair’s tour guide was unlicensed
The father of a woman attacked by a crocodile before being saved by twin sister has revealed details of the fight for her life as it emerged the pair were lead to lagoon by ‘unlicensed tour guide’.
Melissa and Georgia Laurie, both 28, from Berkshire, were swimming during the day in a lagoon in Mexico – around 10 miles from Puerto Escondido.
Melissa was attacked by a crocodile which dragged her beneath the water before Georgia repeatedly punched the beast in a bid to save her.
The pair are now both recovering in hospital in Mexico. Melissa has been placed in a medically-induced coma to prevent any infection to her injuries and Georgia suffered injuries to her hands.
Their father Sean has since told MailOnline: ‘Melissa has lacerations all over her abdomen, her body, bite injuries. Her wrist is broken and has been pinned in several places.
‘But her worst injuries are in her lungs. She was half-drowned. The crocodile took her in a death-roll, turning her over and over under water. Fortunately Georgia got to her.’
The twins’ elder sister, Hana Laurie, 33, also revealed the pair had booked a tour with a guide through their hostel but had since been told he was not registered and had taken them to a swimming spot which was not recommended.
‘He’s an unlicensed tour guide and according to someone on a Mexican Facebook page he’s been doing it for a while, doing illegal tours in unsafe, unregistered areas,’ Hana said.
Melissa and Georgia Laurie, both 28, from Berkshire, were swimming during the day in a lagoon in Mexico – around 10 miles from Puerto Escondido
Melissa (left) was attacked by a crocodile which dragged her beneath the water before Georgia (right) repeatedly punched the beast in a bid to save her sister
The twins were volunteering with animals in the country and had been taking a break when the crocodile attacked.
Hana said: ‘[Their tour guide] had gone to where the crocodiles live and not the location where all legal certified sanctioned tours take place. He has been called out locally before, apparently, but that wasn’t for my sisters to know.
‘They found out the information through their hospital.’
She added that she was ‘very proud’ of ‘super-badass’ sister Georgia for scaring the crocodile off after punching it three times.
Hana told Radio 1 Newsbeat: ‘Georgia found [Melissa] unresponsive and started to drag her back to the safety of a boat.
‘She dragged her back as the crocodile kept coming back for more – so she just started hitting it. She’d heard that with with some animals, that’s what you’ve got to do.’
She has since said: ‘Georgia’s OK, she’s tired, she’s really stressed. I think she’s really frightened but she is awake and has got some wounds on her hands. Melissa’s still in an induced coma.’
Hana said that the family were in disbelief when they found out what happened before adding that the event was ‘so unusual, and so rare’ that they ‘didn’t believe it could happen to them’.
The family (pictured all together) are now trying to work out if they are able to fly over to Mexico to support the twins but added it is more difficult due to the cost and Mexico being placed on Britain’s amber list
The family are now trying to work out if they are able to fly over to Mexico to support the twins but added it is more difficult due to the cost and Mexico being placed on Britain’s amber list.
The sisters’ mother Sue Laurie, 63, revealed how the 28-year-old twins’ unbreakable bond had saved their lives.
She told MailOnline: ‘They have always been there for each other. The girls can fight like cats and dogs, but there is no closer relationship than twins.
‘They will do anything for each other. And what happened in Mexico shows just that.
‘If Georgia had not have been there who knows what would have happened.’
The crocodile attacked both sisters as they waded toward the shore with Georgia forced to punch it several times to escape (stock image)
Tourists flock to Manialtepec Lagoon (pictured) to swim in the glow-in-the-dark waters – despite warnings that 10ft crocodiles lurk under the surface
She said both women had terrible bite injuries while Melissa came close to drowning.
‘We have twin daughters who are travelling around Mexico were attacked by a crocodile last night,’ Sue added.
‘Melissa is alive, but we don’t know if her injuries are life-threatening or not.
‘She has water on her lungs and she has been coughing up blood. So we don’t know if she has a punctured lung or not. She has been put into a medically induced coma.’
Pictured: Twins Melissa and Georgia Laurie, now both 28, when they were babies dressed in identical clothing
Melissa and Georgia Laurie (pictured as schoolchildren) had been on a dream trip to Mexico when tragedy struck
Sean has previously told how Melissa, a zookeeper, was saved from certain death by her sister.
He said: ‘Georgia fought off the crocodile. It was only because she is a diver and has life-saving experience that she was able to save her.
‘They were swimming after dark in the bioluminescent waters when Georgia heard Melissa cry out.
‘She called for her but she didn’t reply. She could hear other members of the tour group but not did not hear anything from her sister.
The twins’ parents, Sue and Sean Laurie, said both their daughters had bite injuries
‘So she went under looking for her. She was very brave.
‘After several minutes she found Melissa floating face down on the surface.
‘But when she was bringing her back to the boat the crocodile attacked again.
‘Georgia had to fight it off. She kept punching it in the head.
‘She suffered lacerations, bite wounds too.’
The twins had taken a boat trip to the Manialtepec Lagoon, which is a coastal lagoon described as a bioluminescence natural phenomenon.
A place rich in biodiversity, the lagoon is created by saltwater from the Pacific Ocean, freshwater from the Manialtepec River and the deep water of the lagoon itself.
Tourists – like the British women – take tours at night to look at the unique glowing bioluminescent waters at night.
Swimmers are warned that crocodiles that can grow up to ten feet long – live in the lagoon.
Despite the warnings, the twins’ father claims that the sisters were assured by their tour company that there were no crocodiles in the water.
The twins had been assured by the tour company the lagoon was free of crocodiles before the croc attack
Mr Laurie, 63, a business consultant, explained: ‘The girls asked specifically if it was safe to go swimming and the guide had said it was.’
The sisters had been back-packing around the world. They left the UK in March and planned to return in November.
However the twins parents are now considering whether they need to fly out to Mexico to bring them home.
A Foreign Office spokeswoman told MailOnline: ‘We are supporting the family of two British women who are in hospital in Mexico, and are in contact with the local authorities.’
