Daughter of British billionaire killed after being thrown off motorcyle during Vietnam trip

A heartbreaking twist has emerged after the daughter of a billionaire building tycoon was tragically killed during her gap year holiday in Vietnam.

British backpacker Orla Wates was thrown off the back of a motorbike after the driver lost control while travelling along the notorious Ha Giang Loop in the north of the country.

The 19-year-old reportedly fell onto the road and was hit by an oncoming truck.

She was taken to a hospital but later died from the devastating extent of her injuries.

Her father, Andy Wates, is the director of the multi-billion-dollar building firm Wates, a more than 100-year-old company that has offices across the United Kingdom.

The teenager was exploring the world before she planned to start studying anthropology at Durham University.

Orla Wates died after being thrown off the back of a motorcycle while on a gap-year trip to Vietnam.
Orla Wates died after being thrown off the back of a motorcycle while on a trip to Vietnam. Wates Family

In a touching detail, her parents decided to donate her organs to other critically ill patients at the Vietnamese hospital, with Wates describing his daughter as “beautiful, independent and very funny, with a sharp wit.”

“She loved to look good and lived life to the full,” he told local publication, Viet Nam News.

Orla’s mother, Henrietta Wates, said her family have found comfort in knowing their daughter is “living on” after her organs were used to save lives.

“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,” she told the outlet.

“Knowing that she is living on through them brings us great comfort.”

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Orla’s liver, two kidneys and two corneas were transplanted to patients at the hospital.

A spokesperson from the Viet Duc Friendship Hospital praised the family’s “compassionate decision.”

“In the face of profound grief, her family made a deeply compassionate decision that transcended nationality and race – to donate her organs, giving others a chance at life,” they said.

“One journey has come to an end, but her life continues quietly and resiliently in others who have been given a second chance.”

In recognition of her parents’ act, Vietnam’s Minister of Health wrote a letter expressing condolences and sincere gratitude for their remarkable gesture.

Orla Wates' father, Andrew Wates, is the director of his family's firm and is the Chairman of the Wates Family Enterprise Trust.
Orla Wates’ father, Andrew Wates, is the director of his family’s firm and is the Chairman of the Wates Family Enterprise Trust. Wates

Second gap-year tragedy

In a heartbreaking twist, this tragedy is not the first that one of Britain’s wealthiest families have suffered during their gap year holidays.

It bears chilling similarities to the death of Orla’s cousin, William Wates, who was also aged just 19 when he was killed while travelling in Honduras.

Similar to Orla, he was also taking time to explore the world before he was due to take up a place at Nottingham University.

William was reportedly shot dead after he was ambushed by a gang in a remote mountainous region close to the Nicaraguan border back in August 1996.

His body was later discovered by locals on the side of the road. He suffered five gunshot wounds to his heart, head and back, and had been bound by his hands and legs.

His short pockets had been turned inside out, while travellers’ checks, credit cards and cash were missing.

Vietnam’s Ha Giang Loop is a 217 to 250-mile motorbike adventure trail that goes across steep mountains, deep valleys and rice terraces.
Vietnam’s Ha Giang Loop is a 217 to 250-mile motorbike adventure trail that goes across steep mountains, deep valleys and rice terraces. Getty Images

William had been travelling in South and Central America for four months after spending time with a voluntary organization, planting trees in Ecuador and helping out in local communities.

At the time of the tragedy, his father Andrew Wates (Orla’s father’s uncle) was chairman of Wates Leisure and director of Wates Building Group, the family construction firm.

Andrew Wates, 85, retired from the company in 2010.

He was a prominent figure in the racing community, with his horse winning the UK’s famous Grand National race just weeks before the death of his son.

After learning about William’s death, Andrew hid the tragedy from hundreds of the family firm’s employees as he hosted a long-planned garden party at his country estate near Dorking, Surrey.

He later flew to Honduras to retrieve his son’s remains.

The family created the William Wates Memorial Trust in the aftermath of the tragedy, a charity set up in his memory which has raised millions in support of projects that help disadvantaged children and young people escape the cycle of crime.

Vietnam’s Ha Giang Loop is a 217 to 250-mile motorbike adventure trail that goes across steep mountains, deep valleys and rice terraces.

It is a very popular activity among young travellers visiting the country but is notorious for being extremely risky, with National Geographic even dubbing it Vietnam’s “most dangerous road”.

Some websites even claim that eight out of every 1000 riders die on the trail, although official death tolls have not been confirmed.