Father of teen who died in Laos poisonings: She was full of life

Shaun Bowles, the father of 19-year-old Holly Bowles, is heartbroken after his daughter died from suspected methanol poisoning while traveling in Laos. This tragic event occurred last month, and Shaun expressed his disbelief when he realized that his daughter would not recover. He described Holly as 'everything you'd want your daughter to be. ' Holly was on an adventure in South East Asia with her best friend, Bianca Jones, when they both fell ill after consuming alcohol believed to be contaminated with methanol, a toxic substance often found in illegal drinks. Sadly, they were not alone in their suffering, as six other foreign tourists also died within a few days in the small tourist town of Vang Vieng. Shaun shared with the BBC that Holly and Bianca were having an incredible time, enjoying their trip just like any two 19-year-old girls should. He said, 'They were having an unbelievable time, just having so much fun. ' The grieving process has been somewhat easier for Shaun because he is very close friends with Bianca's father, Mark. They had traveled together through Thailand on their own backpacking trip 25 years ago, and now they find themselves facing this tragedy together. Shaun remarked, 'It's just bizarre to be going through the same thing with your best friend. Just being together and just talking helps us get through the days. ' Holly and Bianca had planned this trip to celebrate their graduation from school. Shaun had been in touch with Holly every few days, while her mother, Sam, spoke to her even more frequently. 'They were just having an absolute blast,' he said. Unfortunately, the situation took a turn for the worse when the two teenagers did not check out of the Nana Backpacker hostel where they were staying. They were later found unresponsive and rushed to the hospital. Shaun and his family learned about their condition through a friend, and both mothers flew to Thailand that night. Shaun explained how difficult it was to process the situation when receiving second-hand information. The next day, he and Mark flew to Thailand, where they found the girls in a hospital in Udon Thani, just over the border from Laos. Tragically, Bianca passed away on November 21, and Holly followed a day later. Shaun described his daughter as 'full of life,' confident, loving, and a true friend. He emphasized that she was everything a parent could hope for in a daughter. Now, Shaun's focus is on raising awareness about the dangers of methanol poisoning to other young travelers in South East Asia. He stated, 'We absolutely want whoever is responsible for this brought to account and brought to justice, and we're going to do everything that we can to make sure that is the case. ' The other four victims have been identified, including a 28-year-old lawyer from the UK and two young women from Denmark. In connection with this tragic case, eight individuals have been arrested.