Melissa Laurie, the woman who suffered life-threatening injuries after her twin sister saved her from a crocodile attack, is now out of a coma. Melissa and her identical twin Georgia Laurie, 28, made headlines this week when the crocodile attacked as they swam in a lagoon in Mexico.
Georgia and Melissa, from Sandhurst in Berkshire, were travelling and volunteering around Mexico when they took a trip with a guide (who they now believe to be unregistered) to the Manialtepec Lagoon near Puerto Escondido in the state of Oaxaca. Georgia has shared what happened in the “terrifying” ordeal with the BBC, explaining that once the crocodile had struck, it was a case of “fight or flight, and you have to fight for the people you love.”
Georgia “punched the crocodile repeatedly as it came back three times to attack,” while others in the group ran to seek help, details a Go Fund Me page set up by the twins’ older sister, Hana Laurie, to raise money for their medical care.
The BBC reports one local conservationist has predicted it was most likely a female crocodile trying to defend its young, because the animal viciously attacked Melissa on three separate occasions. It yielded serious injuries.
Melissa, a zookeeper, suffered an open wrist fracture, organ lacerations, internal bleeding and water on her lungs. She was unable to breathe on her own and was placed in a medical-induced coma as a result. Georgia was also “slashed” by the reptile, but she was quite quickly discharged from hospital.
In very positive news, Georgia has confirmed that her twin sister Melissa is now out of her coma, and breathing on her own. In a video shared by elder sister Hana on Facebook, Georgia can be heard explaining that Melissa is unable to speak due to pain in her throat from the breathing tube, but that she recognised her twin sister and understood the medical treatment she was receiving.
“My family and I are exceptionally relieved and happy to share this update,” wrote Hana on the post.
The family managed to raise £43,813 on Go Fund Me – way beyond their £35,000 fundraising target – to pay for medical and travel costs associated with the incident. They have now disabled donations as Hana explained they believe they have enough. “Thank you so much to absolutely everybody who has supported us, sent us love,” said Hana.
Here’s hoping the rest of Melissa’s recovery is a smooth one, and that the twins can get back home soon.
