Eyewitness to crocodile attack could hear 'screams for help' as heroic sister fought to save twin

A British woman who was bitten by a crocodile in Mexico is out of her coma and is able to breathe without medical assistance, her twin has said.

Melissa and Georgia Laurie, both 28, from Berkshire, were swimming in the day time in a lagoon in Mexico when Melissa was attacked by a crocodile.

The identical twins were taken to hospital in Mexico, where Melissa had been placed in an induced coma and has developed sepsis as a result of her injuries.

‘I heard them shouting crocodile’

An eyewitness to the attack described the horror episode and said he could hear ‘screams for help’ as Melissa was taken underwater.

Certified guide Gerardo Escamilla Perez, who was showing another group the lagoon, told the Daily Mail: "We started to hear shouts and noise and we saw that there were people screaming inside the mangroves."

After running towards the twins, he added: "It's a dangerous area, even more so at this time of year because animals are nesting. I heard them shouting 'crocodile, crocodile'.

"I jumped into the boat and got to where the ladies were. I could hear one of the girls shouting, 'My sister! My sister!'.”

He said he found Melissa being “cradled” by her sister and said she was conscious but breathing heavily 'like she couldn't get enough air.'

The pair had booked a tour with a guide through their hostel and the women found out later their tour guide was not registered and had taken them to a swimming spot which was not recommended.

Georgia says twin was ‘happy’ to see her

Georgia, who has been discharged from hospital, reportedly said on Thursday that her sister is “doing good” and is no longer receiving medical assistance to breathe.

She told BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat: “She’s been breathing on her own very well.

“She can’t talk because of the soreness in her throat from the tube.”

However, Georgia said her sister could hear and seemed to understand what was happening in the room.

Georgia added: “She recognised me and knew who I was. She seemed happy to see me.”

Melissa’s condition is ‘still really serious’

The pair’s elder sister, Hana Laurie, 33, said her sister had developed sepsis.

Hana had told BBC Breakfast on Wednesday: “I spoke to Georgia overnight, she’s doing much better, she’s really frightened and a little bit high on adrenaline and pain killers … but Melissa’s situation is still really serious, we’re not relaxing just yet.

“She’s still incubated, in a medically-induced coma and she’s now developed sepsis. She had a lot of water and grass in her lungs because crocodiles try to drown people.

“She’s got some bite wounds across her tummy and her legs, some of those have become infected as well. It managed to tear her bowel, so [it’s] quite stressful.”

A GoFundMe page set up by Hana to raise money to help cover medical costs for the twins has raised nearly £38,000.

Writing on the page, Hana said their father Sean is due to fly out to Mexico, which is on the amber list.

He will see the girls in the coming days and the family has been put in touch with an English-speaking doctor, Dr Esteban Bolanos, who is helping give the family updates on Melissa’s condition.

Describing Melissa’s injuries, she said: “Mel is very bruised, has two black eyes and deep cuts to her face, torso and leg where the crocodile has bitten and scratched her.”

Additional reporting by PA.