Grieving parents lead emotional tributes to ‘beautiful’ lawyer Simone White poisoned by ‘methanol-laced booze’ in Laos
The “beautiful” daughter of a British barrister who was died after consuming beer that may have been tainted with methanol has been honored by her parents.
Simone White, 28, of Orpington, Kent, passed away on Thursday after allegedly receiving free shots that had been tampered with while she was in Laos, South East Asia.
According to Simone’s parents, she is a lovely, kind, and devoted daughter.
They went on to say that Simone was unique and had the most amazing vitality and zest for life.
She was a kindhearted person who loved her family, friends, and coworkers and offered so much to so many.
Simone was stolen from us too soon, and her brother, grandma, and whole family will mourn her terribly.
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The London legal firm Squire Patton Boggs, Simone’s employers, also gave tribute.
In a statement, the company expressed its profound sorrow over the untimely death of Simone White, a close friend and coworker.
Simone was a brilliant coworker who embodied our core principles and had a bright future.
“All of Simone’s family, friends, coworkers, and clients who had the honor of working with and getting to know Simone are in our thoughts and prayers.
Her absence will be deeply felt.
Five other travelers died from probable alcohol poisoning while Simone was vacationing in Vang Vieng, a popular destination for backpackers.
She was on vacation with her hospitalized friend Bethany Clarke.
Free shots were handed to the lawyer and about 100 other visitors at the city’s Nana Backpackers guesthouse.
Bethany alerted the Laos Backpacking Facebook group with an urgent warning.
She wrote: Please stay away from all local spirits immediately. We drank free shots from one of the pubs while we were in Vang Vieng.
“Just stay away from them; it’s not worth it. Currently, six of us who shared a drinking location are hospitalized due to methanol poisoning.
The hostel’s manager and owner are being held by local police as they look into the tragedy.
Duong Duc Toan, the hostel’s manager and bartender, had earlier denied that any of the beverages offered there could have caused the vacationers to become unwell.
Where the reportedly methanol-laced cocktails were sipped and the precise number of sick visitors still in the hospital are unknown.
Although it can result in fatalities or serious poisoning, the poisonous substance is occasionally employed as a less expensive substitute for ethanol.
Additionally, two 19-year-old Australian pals, Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones, passed away.
According to Toan, when Bianca and Holly did not check out on Wednesday, November 13, as scheduled, the hostel staff was notified.
He claimed that as a show of hospitality, the guesthouse had given away free shots of Lao vodka to the women.
Bianca was flown to Bangkok Hospital in Thailand, where she was placed on life support, while Holly was reportedly evacuated to a hospital in the capital city of Vientiane, Laos.
A memorial service was held for Holly’s “beloved daughter and sister.”
They continued: “She was surrounded by love, and we are comforted by the knowledge that her incredible spirit touched so many lives during her time with us.”
“With broken hearts, we are so sad to say that our beautiful girl Holly is now at peace,” Holly’s father Shaun told Nine News.
“We find comfort and solace in knowing that Holly bought so much joy and happiness to so many people.”
To be with their daughters before they passed away, both families had taken flights to the hospitals.
In Vang Vieng, an unidentified American male in his 50s and two nameless Danish ladies in their 20s also perished.
There will be more later.Stay tuned to The Sun Online for the most recent updates on this story.
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