A female king who saves her twin sister from a crocodile attack will get a medal

British Georgia Laurie, 31, will be awarded the King's Medal for bravery three years after she saved her twin sister Melissa from a crocodile attack in Mexico. They were swimming on a guided tour in the lagoon near the city of Puerto Escondido – the light emitted by certain organisms such as plankton from their cells and the light that creates unusual colors in the water – the water glows with the bioluminescence effect. They were surprised by the reptiles.

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Melissa, the first victim of the attack, suffered an open fracture to her wrist, severe lacerations to her stomach and multiple injuries to her legs and feet. At the hospital, he developed sepsis and ended up in an induced coma. Georgia was bitten on the arm as she punched the animal until it freed her sister.

– I am truly blessed, there is a silver lining to come out of this terrible ordeal – Georgia said in an interview with the BBC.

Upon discovering that he had been included in the king's first bravery list, he said that he had not expected the honor and wanted to highlight his twin's tough attitude:

— What makes this story so incredible is Melissa's unwavering bravery, because she's so strong, I don't think I'd be here without her: she really gave me the strength to fight.

When asked about her memories of the episode, Melissa recalled that everything happened so quickly and she felt like she had lost touch with her sister. To stay alive, she told her twin to hug her.

– When I was bitten and dragged under the water, I thought: 'That's it, I'm lost'. When I was on the boat I felt like we were losing our bond. And he bit her shoulder to stay connected to her. She sang Stand By Me and Don't Worry About A Thing Again and again to calm me down. She was so brave,” Melissa said.

According to Georgia, as time goes on, the story seems less and less true. But after being knighted by King Charles III and already part of the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, he is making sure everything is put back into perspective.

– It's a crazy story. Because when you think about it, it sounds like a horror movie, but it's a part of our lives. “We're very close after what happened,” he reflects.

The girls, from Sandhurst, England, were in Mexico to volunteer, work at animal sanctuaries and travel at the time of the attack. Now, they are involved in other charitable activities. On August 11, the pair are set to swim the Thames Marathon to raise money for Mexican humanitarian causes that provide essential aid and medical training.