The government of the United Kingdom named Georgia Laurie as a recipient of a King's Gallantry Medal this week for saving her twin sister from a crocodile attack. In the announcement, the UK government said Laurie acted with "exceptional bravery" when she saved her sister on June 6, 2021.
"(She) clearly knew that a dangerous crocodile was in the water but still chose to risk her life to save her sister, showing great persistence in fighting off the attack on multiple occasions," the statement said.
In 2021, Georgia Laurie saved her sister from a crocodile attack while on holiday. Her exceptional bravery makes her a recipient of The King's Gallantry Medal, which has been awarded to nine people across the UK.
Please enable Javascript to view this content Here's what Georgia said about receiving her honour ? pic.twitter.com/Y6I5ExRIq9
— Cabinet Office (@cabinetofficeuk) May 14, 2024
According to the announcement, the incident happened in Puerto Escondido, Mexico, after a guide incorrectly told them it was safe to swim in a lagoon. What happened was Laurie's sister saw the croc about 15 meters away and alerted others to get out of the water. While they frantically tried to escape, the animal snatched the woman.
Upon hearing her sister's screams, Laurie jumped back into the water and found her sister floating face down on the surface. As she tried to revive her, the croc once again attacked. It bit her ankle and tried to drag her away. In response, Laurie started punching the croc in the nose with one hand and kept her sister's unconscious head out of the water with the other. Eventually, the croc let go and Laurie was able to tend to her sister's wounds.
But then the crocodile returned and death rolled Laurie's sister, so Laurie continued to punch it in the face. During the fight, Laurie was also injured when the animal bit her hand. Despite her injuries, she was able to get her sister inside of a nearby boat. Laurie's sister survived the crocodile attack with an open fracture to her wrist, several puncture wounds to her stomach, and additional injuries to her leg and foot.
In a video posted to social media, Lauried said the award "means the world to me because it's kind of a silver lining of the whole event." She added: "It sounds a bit funny because I've been kind of put on this pedestal of being a 'hero,' but it was for me just the necessary action that you take to save someone that you fiercely love. And I think that anyone would do the same."
Along with Laurie, nine others received the Gallantry Medal, which is awarded to those who demonstrate exemplary acts of bravery.
