British backpacker who drank at the same hostel bar as Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles reveals grim new details

A British backpacker has revealed she became seriously ill after drinking two drinks at the same Laos hostel where Australian teenagers Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles were left battling for life with methanol poisoning.

The family of 19-year-old Holly from Melbourne confirmed she died in hospital in Bangkok on Friday, surrounded by her loved ones. Her best friend Bianca, also 19, unfortunately died in another hospital on Thursday.

The British backpacker, who asked to be called Lily, claims she was given two ‘free vodkas’ at Nana Backpackers in Vang Vieng on November 9, two days before Holly and Bianca fell ill.

Lily said bartender Duong Duc Toan poured her drinks around 3 p.m. after she joked with him about missing “happy hour” when she left to go to the backpacker activity “tipsy tubing,” which involves riding on tire inner tubes. the Nam Song River floats.

Toan, who has been detained and questioned by local police, has denied that his vodka is contaminated and said it was made in a factory. He even went so far as to have a drink himself when interviewed by reporters.

Methanol is known to be used in homemade alcohol in Southeast Asia. In Vang Vieng, six tourists have died from methanol poisoning in recent days and several others remain in hospital.

Lily said she left the tubing trail early because she was so drunk and returned to the hostel. She said three other people in her group of 15 also got sick.

Throughout that night and the next day, Lily said she became increasingly ill, even though she had stopped drinking. She credits her boyfriend with saving her life after he insisted she “go to the hospital.”

Australian teenager Holly Bowles also died after alleged methanol poisoning while on holiday in Laos with her best friend

Hostel manager and bartender Duong Duc Toan (pictured) claims it was not his Tiger Vodka that made the tourists sick. He has reportedly been arrested by local authorities

‘I just thought I had a hangover, I spent the day walking back and forth between my room and the toilet just throwing up… I had my eyes closed when I walked to the toilet because I couldn’t see Lily said News Corp.

Lily said that once at the hospital she struggled to get the staff to understand that she wasn’t just drunk because of the language barrier.

She was eventually given IV fluids and slowly improved, with her heart rate calming after a dangerously high resting rate of 170 beats per minute.

Although she is grateful to have recovered, she said she felt “so sad for Holly, Bianca and their families.”

“I didn’t talk to them, but the friends I was traveling with had become friends with them [Holly and Bianca]. Within a few days you can feel like you’ve known each other for years,” she says.

It comes after Holly’s younger brother, James Bowles, posted a heartbreaking tribute to his sister on Instagram on Friday night.

“Fly high my beautiful older sister, you are always in my heart,” he wrote alongside a photo of Holly.

The family released a statement earlier on Friday after arriving in Thailand more than a week ago to find 24-hour vigil at her bedside.

Tourists are pictured kayaking in Laos’ party town of Vang Vieng, where six people have died from suspected methanol poisoning

Staff at Nana Backpackers Hostel have been questioned by police who have demanded that bottles of liquor be served on the night the poisoning occurred

CCTV footage from the hostel shows Ms Bowles and Ms Jones being transported to a local clinic on the back of a motorbike driven by a member of the hotel staff

‘It is with broken hearts and we are so sad to say that our beautiful girl Holly is now at peace. We take solace and comfort in knowing that Holly brought so much joy and happiness to so many people,” the statement said.

‘Holly lived her best life, traveling around Southeast Asia, meeting new friends and enjoying incredible experiences.

‘As her parents, we were always so incredibly proud of everything Holly did. Holly was a great big sister to James and she always took care of him.

“We would like to thank everyone at home, in Canada and around the world for the love and support that Holly and our family have received.”

Holly and Bianca were both heavily involved with Beaumaris Football Club, which posted a tribute to the pair on Saturday, with blue and yellow ribbons, the club’s colours, tied to a signpost of their home ground at Banksia Reserve.

Holly Bowles (left) and Bianca Jones (right) both played for Beaumaris Football Club

In a video from September, the best friends happily danced together just weeks before their deadly backpacking trip

“Please join us in donating Beaumaris Blue & Yellow in memory of both girls who passed away too soon and in support of their grieving parents,” the club wrote on Instagram.

The club held a ‘private meeting’ for players and coaches on Friday evening.

Frank’s cafe, where Ms Bowles worked for more than two years, paid tribute to their colleague who they described as a ‘key component’ of the team.

“Holly was the best of us. She was sweet, incredibly kind, trustworthy, funny, diligent, hardworking and extremely capable,” the cafe wrote on Instagram.

“Believe me when I say I couldn’t blame her. Finally, to Holly: I’m so grateful you came to us with a resume, boy. I’ll never forget you, buddy.’