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

The father of 19-year-old Holly Bowles, who died of suspected methanol poisoning in Laos last month, said he was "in disbelief" 

when he realised his daughter would not survive. Speaking to the BBC, Sean Bowles described Holly as "everything your daughter could ever want".

 The Australian teenager was travelling through Southeast Asia with her best friend Bianca Jones when they fell ill after drinking alcohol tainted with methanol, a toxic substance sometimes added to illegal drinks. 

They were among six foreign tourists who died in the small riverside tourist town of Vang Vieng in a matter of days. "They were having an incredible time, just having so much fun, doing what two 19-year-old girls should do," Sean Bowles told the BBC's Today programme. He said the grieving process had been made more manageable because he was "best friends" with Bianca's father, Mark. Mark and Sean went on their own backpacking trip to Thailand 25 years ago.

 “It’s really weird to go through the same situation as your best friend. Just being together and just talking helps us get through the day,” he said. Holly and Bianca planned their trip to celebrate her graduation from school. Since they were away, Sean spoke to his daughter every few days, while Holly’s mother, Sam, spoke to her “every second.” “They were having a blast,” he said. The two teenagers were taken to the hospital unresponsive after they failed to get out of the Nana Backpacker Hostel where they were staying. 

Sean and his family learned of their illness through a friend — and the two mothers flew to Thailand that night. “When you’re getting second-hand information… it was really hard to understand exactly what kind of situation they were in,” Sean said. 

The next day he and Bianca's father Mark flew away, while the girls were admitted to a hospital in Udon Thani, across the border from Laos, Thailand. Bianca died on November 21, and Holly a day later. "She was vibrant. She was confident, she was loving, she was a true friend to people. She was everything you could want her to be, she was everything," Sean said.

 Now, Sean said, his goal is to raise awareness of methanol poisoning among other young people traveling in Southeast Asia. "We definitely want whoever is responsible for this to be brought to justice, and we will do everything we can to make sure that happens," he said. The other four victims were Simone White, a 28-year-old lawyer from the United Kingdom; 

James Louis Hutson, a 57-year-old American; and Danish citizens Ann-Sophie Orkild Koeman, 20, and Freja Venervald Sorensen, 21.

 Eight people have been arrested in the case.