King’s medal for twin who fought crocodile off sister

Following the attack, nearly three years ago, Melissa suffered an open fracture to her wrist, severe bite wounds to the abdomen and many to her leg and foot, while Georgia was bitten on her hand.

Ms Laurie added: “The further away it gets, the less it feels real.

“But then something like this happens and it puts it all back into perspective again, like wow, that actually did happen, it’s a crazy story.

“Because when you think about it, it does sound like a horror movie, but it is a part of our life, it’s part of the tapestry of our life.”

The twins, from Berkshire were out swimming during a guided river tour in a lagoon near Puerto Escondido to see the water glowing with bioluminescence when the crocodile attacked.

Bioluminescence is the light that some living creatures, such as plankton, emit from their cells

They had been in Mexico in June 2021 to volunteer, work in animal sanctuaries and travel.

On 11 August the pair are set to swim the Thames Marathon to raise money for two causes, PTSD UK and Compañeros En Salud, a charity in Mexico which provides essential aid and medical training to communities in Chiapas.

They hope to raise over £4,000 through the endurance swim between Henley-on-Thames and Marlow.

Listen to an interview with Ms Laurie on Life Changing with Dr Sian Williams on Wednesday at 09:00 on BBC Radio 4.