Twins pictured for first time after woman punched crocodile in Mexico to save sister’s life
'She told me she thought this was the way she was going to die'
The British woman and her twin who saved her from a vicious crocodile attack by punching it in the nose have been pictured for the first time since their ordeal.
In an image shared with ITV News, Mel Laurie smiles from the hospital where she is being treated during a visit with her sister Georgia.
Earlier on Monday, Georgia told ITV News of the terrifying moment she thought her sister was dead and how she saved her life.
'I thought at one point she was dead' - Georgia Laurie details what happened as the reptile launched three attacks on her sister
The pair had been swimming with two other friends in Manialtepec Lagoon, Mexico, when a crocodile attacked Melissa and dragged her underwater.
Georgia, 28, who had managed to swim to safety, returned to the water when her sister did not respond to her calls.
She then repeatedly punched the crocodile after it returned to attack her sister for the second and third time, until it went away.
Speaking to ITV News, Georgia gave a detailed account of what happened and how she saw her sister's body "floating towards her".
She explained it was Melissa who alerted everyone to the crocodile and they all swam to the safety of a nearby bank but Melissa had not made it.
Georgia continued: "We saw the crocodile and we tried to swim to safety but unfortunately my sister didn't escape that - so it took her under."
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She said: "We tried to call her name but there was no answer so I went towards my friends and tried to find my friends and then I just saw her body floating towards me.
"I jumped into action with my rescue training that I remember and dragged her body towards me and laid her on my chest and tried to revive and she started going into a fit.
"And the crocodile came back twice - so I beat it off but the third time is when I sustained the most injuries".
Georgia Laurie tells ITV News her twin sister Melissa remembers her singing to her on the boat
When asked what her twin sister Melissa remembers from the encounter, Georgia said: "When I spoke to her at the hospital, I asked her 'what do you remember', and she said she remembers the first crocodile attack - she remembers it dragging her underwater.
"She remembers feeling like she was going to drown, and also she said she felt like her arm was ripped off.
"And the only other thing she remembers is me singing to her on the boat - so that's a really nice comforting thing."
Georgia told ITV News she thought she would sing to her twin because she loves her singing voice.
She said: Melissa "always says she is my number one fan, and I thought that was a nice way to comfort her.
"I knew she was coming in and out of consciousness that I knew she would not really taking in anything that I said to her," she added.
Georgia described how a boat with a tour guide came by at the right time, but the people on board were not in a position to help at that moment.
It was then that the crocodile returned for the third time, inflicting many injuries on Melissa as it tried to death roll her and drag her away.
It eventually went away as Georgia continued to punch it on the nose.
Georgia said: "Honestly, without my friends there, I don't think I would be in the fortunate position I'm in now, because my friends actually ran to get help."
Melissa was left with puncture marks all over her legs and abdomen, cuts to her stomach, a fractured wrist, and had water in her lungs, said Georgia.
She was also coughing up blood and bile at the time of the incident.
Melissa Laurie is recovering well and is able to talk again, says sister Georgia
Georgia, who called Melissa her "best friend", described the injuries as "really scary" but she has now been brought out of induced coma.
But she shared the good news that Melissa is recovering well and able to talk and walk a little.
Georgia said: "She's now on fluids and she's going to be taking solids soon, after that I think she will have the bags removed from her stomach that have been draining everything out.
"They found a lot debris, a lot of mud and grass in her body from the water she took in and also from the puncture wounds from the crocodile - so hopefully that's within the next three or four days.
"We've also got to monitor the fracture in her arm and monitor her walking as she sustained a lot of wounds to her legs."
Melissa and Georgia were in Mexico to travel and volunteer.
Georgia, a divemaster, wanted to teach diving and teach children English and Melissa wanted to volunteer with animals.
One of the attractions they were drawn to was the bioluminescence phenomenon, the emission of light from living creatures.
Georgia added she was grateful for all the support she has received from friends, family and strangers and said she did not spend a single night in hospital on her own.