A friend of a woman savaged by a crocodile has spoken of the horrifying attack and how the group were told there were no crocs in the water.
Elliot Scott described the terrifying moment Melissa Laurie was rescued in blood soaked scenes that would stay with him forever.
He went on to claim the tour guide had assured the group of tourists there were no crocodiles in the water and told them ‘it was safe’ not long before the brutal assault that nearly cost his friend her life.
Melissa was dragged under the water by a crocodile in a ‘death roll’ as she swam in a lagoon with her sister Georgia, near Puerto Escondido in Mexico on Sunday.
The Brit zookeeper was left fighting for her life after she was rescued from the jaws of a crocodile by her heroic and quick-thinking identical twin.
(Image: FACEBOOK)
Mr Scott told the Daily Mail he was with the pair with a group of 23 tourists on the trip to the lagoon.
Recalling the calm before horrifying incident unfolded, he said: “The scenery was amazing. We saw flocks of herons in the mangrove swamps and other exotic birds. There was high energy on the boat. We were young, we were travellers, we were having fun.
“Someone asked, ‘are there any crocodiles?’ and the guide said, no, it was safe.”
He said that some time after 6pm the tour guide came rushing towards him.
Mr Scott told the paper: “He said, ‘Pack up all your stuff right now – we’re leaving’. I knew the twins weren’t back from their walk and I wasn’t going to leave without them but then someone else said words to the effect, ‘there’s been a crocodile attack’ or ‘someone’s got bitten’, so I grabbed all the bags and ran for the boat.”
He added that he next saw the twins, with Georgia cradling Melissa soaked in blood and it was a sight that would ‘stay for ever in my mind.’
He went on to praise how Georgia dealt with the terrifying incident and said that she never took her eyes off her twin, and that she sung to her to keep her calm.
(Image: Getty Images/Cultura RF)
The extent of Melissa’s injuries later became clear when she was hauled into a boat.
Georgia said her twin was coughing up blood and saying: “I’m drowning, I’m drowning”. She had been face down in the water, drifting in and out of consciousness.
Previously she detailed how she fought the beast off three times and “punched it in the nose” to protect her sister from the 7ft reptile.
She suffered puncture wounds, a fractured wrist, lacerations on her stomach, and doctors were worried she would develop sepsis.
She was taken to a hospital in Puerto Escondido, and Georgia was also treated for bites and gashes on her arms and legs.
Melissa had to be put into a coma while she recovered from her injuries.
Melissa went on to record a voice message, saying: “I am extremely grateful that I came out of this alive, and that I had Georgia fight my side for me. So I am very happy for that.”
