A second Australian teenager has tragically died just days after her friend after the pair consumed methanol-laced cocktails in Laos.
Holly Bowles, 19, passed away in a Thailand hospital on Friday, according to her heartbroken parents.
“It is with broken hearts and we are so sad to say that our beautiful girl Holly is now at peace,” Bowles’ family said in a Friday statement to media.
“We find comfort and solace in knowing that Holly bought so much joy and happiness to so many people.
“Holly was living her best life travelling through South East Asia meeting new friends and enjoying incredible experiences.
“As her parents we were always so incredibly proud of everything Holly did. Holly was an amazing big sister to James and she always looked out for him
“We would like to thank everyone from back home, in Canada and around the world for the love and support that Holly and our family have received.”
Ms Bowles was on the trip of a lifetime with her best friend Bianca Jones, with the pair travelling around Southeast Asia with a wider group during their gap year.
News of Ms Bowles’ death come as it was revealed that the owner of a backpacker hostel where she was staying with Ms Jones has been detained by police for questioning in Laos.
Ms Bowles is the sixth person to die after the mass poisoning, following the deaths of two Danish women, a US citizen, a UK lawyer and Ms Jones.
Ms Jones graduated from Mentone Girls Grammar, and Ms Bowles from Beaumaris Secondary College last year after completing their VCE.
Horror poisonings
It is understood that the Melbourne teens consumed deadly cocktails while visiting the tourist town of Vang Vieng, located around 130km north of Vientiane in Laos.
They were staying at Nana Backpackers Hostel and consumed drinks at the bar before heading out to another venue, staff at the hostel have claimed.
Both fell incredibly ill after consuming the drinks thought to be spiked with methanol on November 11.
The pair spent the next day sleeping in their room but came out to tell staff they “couldn’t breathe” and needed to go to hospital, the Herald Sun reported.
One hostel worker, who went by the nickname Pikachu, said the girls sought help from reception staff and were gravely unwell.
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