Medicine causes backpacker deaths in Cambodia

SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA - 29TH MARCH 2017: Bars, restaurants and lights along Pub Street in Siem Reap Cambodia at night. Lots of people can be seen.

Two female backpackers have died in Cambodia after consuming over-the-counter medicine.

Two female backpackers have been found unconscious in the Monkey Republic Guest House in Cambodia’s tourist hub of Kampot.

It is suspected that they died as a result of taking over-the-counter medicine to treat a stomach bug.

The backpackers, Natalie Jade Seymour, 22 from Britain and her friend Abbey Gail Amisola, 27, from Canada were rushed to hospital, but the women were not able to be revived, per news.com.au.

Tragic texts messages have emerged between Seymour and her mother, Wendy Bowler.

Communicating via Whatsapp, Seymour told Bowler that she was not feeling well, perhaps suffering from food poisoning. She added that she was going to “go and get something to make her feel better.”

That was the last time Bowler spoke to her daughter.

“My daughter had already told me she wasn’t well and said she might go and get something to make her feel better,” Bowler said, according to the UK’s Mirror.

“The hotel manager was going up and down with drinks and told them they should go to a medical centre.

“They decided to sleep it off but never woke up again.”

Ongoing police investigations are determining what role the medication played in their deaths.

A forensic examination will prepare a report as to the exact cause of death.

“At the minute, bodies are in the morgue and they’ll be sent over but it could take up to three days. I don’t know if they’ll want an autopsy to determine cause of death, because nobody knows.”

The pair met in Bali before travelling to Cambodia.

“It seems they were very close friends who were travelling together,” a representative for the Monkey Republic hostel told the Daily Mail.

“This is now in the hands of the police but there is nothing suspicious about their deaths.

“One of the staff saw them last night and asked if they were going to eat in the restaurant, but they said they weren’t going to be eating.

“They did have a lot of water in their room. Everyone is very upset about it.”

“She told us everyday where she was going to be going and what she was going to be doing, she always really wanted to travel and just wanted a break from work,” Bowler added.

According to the Daily Mail, the political and public diplomacy officer at the UK embassy in Cambodia said they were aiding the investigation.

“At the embassy we are aware of this case and our consular team is working out on possible supports and we are conducting further study in this case.”

Advertise with us

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

Backpacker Death backpackers cambodia