Parents Issue Warning To ‘Take Country Off Bucket List’ After Their Daughters Died On Holiday
The parents of two Aussie teenagers who died in Laos last year have issued a warning to other young travellers to remove the destination from their bucket lists.
It’s coming up to a year since Holly Morton-Bowles and Bianca Jones, both 19, died along with four others who had accidentally consumed methanol in the tourist town of Vang Vieng in November 2024.
The victims were served “free vodka shots” at the Nana Backpackers Hostel where they were staying, that were unknowingly laced with methanol; a colourless, odorless poison often used in industrial products and illegally added to bootleg alcohol.
Methanol can cause serious illness and can be fatal if just 0.85 fluid ounces are consumed. That’s less than 2 tablespoons – just to give you an idea of how potent this stuff is.
In an interview with the Herald Sun, the parents of Holly Morton-Bowles and Bianca Jones have slammed the Laos government as “corrupt” and claim there’s no evidence that an investigation into the tragedy has even taken place.
Shaun Bowles and Samantha Morton said: “We recognise how corrupt and unhelpful the Laos Government (is), there is no evidence whatsoever to suggest there is any type of investigation going on.
“(Our) hope is that Australians remove this country from their bucket list, your life is worth nothing over there and we have seen this first-hand as well as other families that have been involved in this tragedy.”
Meanwhile, Mark and Michelle Jones said “to date, no individual or organization has been held accountable” and noted that it “appears these deaths of innocent young women may be forgotten, brushed aside and left unresolved.”
Terrible look for the southeast-Asian country which depends a lot on tourism, especially from Australia, but from the sounds of it their government has handled the tragedy terribly. In fact, earlier this year it was revealed that the Laos government had refused to meet with the families of those who were killed. What excuse could they possibly have for that?
You would think that officials in Laos would at least offer some assurances that they’re cleaning up a lot of the dodgy operators/hostels/bars who do stuff like this, but for whatever reason they appear completely unbothered, at least according to the parents of Holly and Bianca.
A lot of people find Laos quite boring but there are some cool things to see and do there. If this story hasn’t put you off completely, then at least minimise your risk of a similar fate by drinking only known brands from sealed bottles. Same with food; go to popular, busy places, as there is less chance they are doing something dodgy.
RIP Holly and Bianca and the rest of the victims – here’s hoping for some semblance of justice for their loved ones as they continue to seek answers.
For the British woman arrested in Thailand last week for teaching ‘sex yoga’ classes, click HERE.
