A BRAVE Andover teenager who narrowly escaped death after being mauled by a crocodile on a rafting trip has been recognised for her courage.

Amelie Osborn-Smith was spending time in Zambia on her gap year when a whitewater rafting trip took a horrific turn.

A 10ft crocodile dragged her into a death roll after she had been resting her leg over the side of the boat.

She described how she expected to lose her foot, but said it was "such a relief" to be told it was fine and that she was going to be able to walk again.

Now, Amelie has won the Act of Courage award in the Amplifon Awards For Brave Britons 2022.

READ MORE: 'I was very lucky': Andover teen who survived crocodile attack speaks from hospital bed

The judges said that Amelie had shown “the best of British spirit” after not only surviving the horrifying attack but going on to build a school in a nearby African village as part of her healing process following the incident.

Following the attack, she was flown to a hospital in Lusaka, where she underwent emergency operations, before returning to England for more surgery.

But within months she was back in Zambia overseeing the building of the school in Muke village, funded by £40,000 she had raised through media interviews and a JustGiving page.

The judges said: “When Amelie first felt the crocodile grab hold of her, almost severing her foot, she feared she was going to die. And then for a young girl to be the victim of a sustained attack in water, miles away from emergency services, those thoughts of not making it must have been flowing ever more through her mind.

“But, having been rescued from a fate on the fringe of death, she then took her survival as a calling to put back into the local African community, where she saw the need for schooling and education to be so acute. Her later actions were as courageous as surviving the attack itself.

“After undergoing one operation after another and then, having the strength in her body and soul in such a short time, to raise the money by giving media interviews and opening a JustGiving page, demonstrated what a special and courageous person she is.”

SEE ALSO: Teenager who fought for her life during a crocodile attack shortlisted for bravery award

Amelie, 19, who now studying psychology at Hatfield College, Durham University, said: “I really didn’t expect to win this award when you see all the other brave people who were in the running.”

She added: “Following the attack it’s not just been physically challenging but also mentally. Physically I have recovered as much as I can now, and mentally, the school is what got me to where I am. Something like that has shown me that out of any situation, no matter how bad you think it might be, there is something positive you can take out of it.

“I owe my life to the people who saved me and the kids from the school that came forward.”