Holly Bowles had travelled to South East Asia with her best friend Bianca Jones, who also died
The dad of a young woman who died after a suspected methanol poisoning said she was “everything you’d want your daughter to be”. Holly Bowles, 19, from Australia, had been on holiday with her best friend Bianca Jones, 19, in Laos, South East Asia but died in hospital on Friday, November 22.
Her friend Bianca died just a day earlier. A total of six people died after it is alleged drinks were mixed with methanol and served to guests at the Nana Backpackers Hostel in the bustling party town of Vang Vieng.
Speaking to the BBC, Holly’s dad Shaun Bowles said he was in “disbelief” when he realised his daughter would not pull through. He said on the BBC’s Today Programme: “They were having an unbelievable time, just having so much fun, doing what two 19-year-old girls should be doing.”
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He added he has been leaning on Bianca’s dad, Mark, for support as they too are best friends like their daughters. They also had travelled through Thailand together 25 years ago.
Shaun said his family received news they were unwell through a friend of the girls and their mums flew to Thailand that night. Shaun and Mark flew over the next day.
In a tribute, Shaun said: “She was just full of life. She was confident, she was loving, she was just a true friend of people. She was everything you want your daughter to be.”
The other four victims have been named as Simone White, a 28-year-old lawyer from the UK; James Louis Hutson, a 57-year-old American; and Danish citizens Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, and Freja Vennervald Sorensen, 21. Eight people have been arrested in connection with the case.
Methanol is sometimes added to mixed drinks at disreputable bars as a cheaper alternative to ethanol, but can cause severe poisoning or death. It is also a by-product of poorly distilled homebrewed liquor, and could have found its way into bar drinks inadvertently.