Melissa Laurie is currently in a coma after a crocodile attacked the young woman in Mexico. Her twin sister Georgia suffered deep bite marks on her body as a result of her heroic rescue, according to The Independent.
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Crocodile attacks young woman, twin sister rushes to her aid
According to the report, Georgia found her sister floating face down in the water in the Manialtepec lagoon, about 16 km from the popular surf resort of Puerto Escondido, and immediately tried to bring her to safety.
The crocodile then attacked both of them again, but Georgia was able to fight it off and swim to the boat with her sister. The two are now in a Mexican hospital.
The twins' father, Sean Laurie, told the Daily Mail that Georgia 'hit him (the crocodile) on the head.' She goes on to recount the incident:
They were swimming in the water after dark when Georgia heard Melissa scream. She called out to her, but she did not answer. She could hear other members of the tour group, but nothing from her sister.
The health of the young British woman is currently still unclear
Sue Laurie, the twins' mother, adds:
Melissa is alive, but we don't know if her injuries are life-threatening or not. She has water in her lungs and coughed up blood. So we don't know if she has a punctured lung or not.
Normally, swimmers are always warned that the Manialtepec lagoon is teeming with crocodiles. However, the mother claims that the guide the twins were travelling with told them that the lagoon was safe to swim in.
The sisters had been backpacking around the world since March this year. Their parents were still considering whether to fly to Mexico to bring their daughters home.
A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office tells the Daily Mail:
We are supporting the family of the two British women who are in hospital in Mexico and are in contact with the local authorities