Family pay tribute to British teenager killed in motorcycle crash in Vietnam

Orla Wates, 19, who died after incident on popular Ha Giang loop, described as ‘beautiful, independent and very funny’

The family of a British teenager have paid tribute to their daughter who died after a motorcycle crash on a popular route in Vietnam.

The incident occurred on the Ha Giang loop in the country’s north, and Orla Wates, 19, died at the Viet Duc university hospital in Hanoi, according to Viet Nam News.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) confirmed its consular staff were supporting Wates’s family.

Her parents, Andrew and Henrietta Wates, told Viet Nam News: “Orla was beautiful, independent and very funny, with a sharp wit. She loved to look good and lived life to the full.”

Her mother thanked the hospital and its ICU team for caring for Orla, and said her organs had been donated to save others.

She said: “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.

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

 
Orla Wates was taken to the Viet Duc university hospital in Hanoi, where she died. Photograph: VDUH

In an interview shared on the hospital’s social media page, her father said: “Vietnam was a country she loved and so to give back to Vietnam as well I think is very important for us.”

Her mother added: “She had the best time here, she was loving every minute of it. So it is our way of thanking you.”

The Ha Giang loop is a road trip of about 220 miles (350km) that winds through the Vietnamese mountains near the border with China.

 
A section of the Ha Giang loop. Photograph: imageBROKER.com/Alamy

It is popular among tourists, and inexperienced motorcyclists often ride pillion in a group with tour operators.

The loop typically takes about three to four days on a motorcycle.

An FCDO spokesperson said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Orla Wates, following her tragic death in Vietnam.

“We are in touch with the local authorities, and our consular staff are doing all they can to support Orla’s family at this hugely difficult time.”

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