British building tycoon's daughter, 19, dies in Vietnam motorbike crash during gap year as family pays tribute
Orla Wates, whose father is a director of £2.4billion building firm Wates, died after crashing on the Ha Giang Loop in the country’s north.
The 19-year-old daughter of a British building tycoon has died after a motorcycle crash on a popular route for tourists in Vietnam.
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Orla Wates, whose father is a director of £2.4billion building firm Wates, died after crashing on the Ha Giang Loop in the country’s north.
Her grieving father said Orla was "loving every minute" of her time in Vietnam, where she was spending part of her gap year before the fatal crash.
The cause of the accident is still being investigated, but she was reportedly riding pillion on the back of a motorcycle when the driver lost control, according to the Daily Mail.
She was then thrown to the ground before being hit by an oncoming truck, it is understood, causing injuries that proved fatal.
Orla was pronounced dead at Ha Noi’s Viet Duc Friendship Hospital on April 2.
Her devastated parents, Andrew and Henrietta Wates, have paid an emotional tribute to their ”beautiful, independent and very funny” daughter“.
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She loved to look good and lived life to the full”, they told Viet Nam News.
Her mother thanked the hospital’s Dr Trịnh Van Dong and its ICU team for caring for Ms Wates – and said her organs had been donated to save others, according to the outlet.
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.”
In an heartbreaking interview shared to 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 had the best time here, she was loving every minute of it. So it is our way of thanking you.”
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) confirmed its consular staff are supporting Ms Wates’ family.
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.”
The Ha Giang Loop is a road trip of around 350km that winds through the Vietnamese mountains near the border with China.
It is popular among tourists, and inexperienced motorcyclists often ride pillion in a group with tour operators.
The loop typically takes around three to four days on a motorcycle.