Crocodile kills US woman in India

NEW YORK - A 25-year-old US woman was killed by a crocodile while she was snorkelling in India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands, her family has said.

The crocodile attack took place when Lauren Failla was snorkelling in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands off the coast of India, said Lauren’s aunt, Sally Brantley.

She said the family was notified of Lauren’s death Wednesday. Lauren hailed from Morristown in New Jersey.

“Lauren was full of energy and full of love. We loved her very much and miss her terribly. We are grateful for the expressions of love and sympathy,” Daily Record quoted Brantley Tuesday as saying.

Lauren’s friend Lana Denysyk said she loved to travel and decided on the spur of the moment to take a holiday in India with her boyfriend.

“She is very like that. It hasn’t sunk in yet, that she’s gone. She was like a sister to me.”

Lauren was the younger sister of Emily Failla, who died in 2006 at the age of 24 after falling more than 400 feet while rappelling down a climbing spot in Washington.

The victim had recently obtained her Master’s Degree in Art Business from Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London, and spent the past year volunteering at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, the media report said.

Anitra Kyees, who befriended Lauren at Sotheby’s, said she spoke to Lauren just before she left for India.

She said Lauren wanted to renew her visa in order to work in London over the next two years.