British teenager Orla Wates dies in motorbike crash in Vietnam
A British teenager has died in a motorcycle crash on a popular route in Vietnam.
Orla Wates, 19, was travelling the Ha Giang Loop in the country’s north when she fell from the back of a motorbike.
Her parents, Andrew and Henrietta Wates, told Viet Nam News in a tribute: ‘Orla was beautiful, independent and very funny, with a sharp wit.
‘She loved to look good and lived life to the full.’
Mrs Wates thanked Dr Trịnh Van Dong and the ICU team at Hanoi’s Viet Duc Friendship Hospital for caring for Ms Wates – and said her organs had been donated to save others, according to the outlet.
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She said: ‘At this extremely difficult time for our family, we chose to donate Orla’s organs, as we believe that if there were a way to give opportunity to others, this is what Orla would have wanted.
‘Knowing that she is living on through them brings us great comfort.’
In an emotional interview shared to the hospital’s social media page, her father said: ‘Vietnam was a country she loved and so to give back to Vietnam as well I think is very important for us.’
Her mother added: ‘She had the best time here, she had the best time here, she was loving every minute of it. So it is our way of thanking you.’
The Ha Giang Loop is a road trip of around 350km that winds through the Vietnamese mountains near the border with China.
It is popular among tourists, and inexperienced motorcyclists often ride pillion in a group with tour operators.
The loop typically takes around three to four days on a motorcycle.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) confirmed its consular staff are supporting Ms Wates’ family.
An FCDO spokesperson said: ‘Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Orla Wates, following her tragic death in Vietnam.
‘We are in touch with the local authorities, and our consular staff are doing all they can to support Orla’s family at this hugely difficult time.’
Orla’s is the latest in a series of deaths involving British tourists abroad.
Last month, the body of James Winkles was found washed up on El Laguito Beach in Cartagena, Colombia.
The newlywed, from the Isle of Wight, was on a dream holiday to South America.
Days earlier, Tom Pardhy, 38, died in a suspected drinks spiking incident in Thailand.
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