The family of a British teenager killed in a motorbike accident in Vietnam is enduring its second devastating gap-year tragedy, with chilling parallels to a loss three decades ago.
Orla Wates' Fatal Accident in Vietnam
Orla Wates, a 19-year-old from London who was due to start university soon, died following a motorbike crash on the Ha Giang Loop, a mountainous road in Vietnam. She was rushed to hospital but doctors were unable to save her life.
Her parents, Andy and Henrietta Wates, described Orla as "beautiful, independent and very funny, with a sharp wit." In a gesture of profound generosity, they donated her liver, kidneys, and corneas for transplantation, saving three lives at the hospital where she passed away.
A Heartbreaking Family History
This incident bears a tragic resemblance to the death of Orla's cousin, William Wates, who was also 19 when he was killed during his gap year in Honduras in August 1996. William was shot dead in a remote mountainous region near the Nicaraguan border, just weeks before he was set to begin studying Ancient History at Nottingham University.
William had been travelling across South and Central America for four months, including two months volunteering by planting trees in Ecuador and supporting local communities. He was robbed and murdered by two Latin American men, suffering five gunshot wounds to the heart, head, and back, with his hands and legs bound. Travellers' cheques, credit cards, and cash were stolen.
The Wates Family Legacy
Both Orla and William were members of the prominent Wates construction family dynasty, estimated to be worth £597 million. Orla's father, Andy, 56, is a director of the £2.4 billion Wates building firm. William's father, Andrew Wates, was then chairman of Wates Leisure and a director of the family construction firm.
Andrew Wates, now 85, retired in 2010 and is a well-known figure in horse racing; his horse Rough Quest won the Grand National just weeks before his son's death. After learning of William's tragedy, Andrew concealed the news and hosted a long-planned garden party at his Surrey estate before travelling to Honduras to bring his son's body home.
Legacy and Memorial
In William's memory, the family established the William Wates Memorial Trust, a charity that has raised millions of pounds to support disadvantaged children. This legacy of giving continues with Orla's organ donations, highlighting the family's resilience and commitment to helping others despite their profound losses.
The deaths of these two adventurous teenagers, separated by 30 years but united by circumstance, underscore the risks and heartbreaks that can accompany gap-year travels, leaving a family to mourn twice over.
