The funeral for Holly Bowles, who died after suspected methanol poisoning during a trip to Laos, will be held today at Beaumaris Secondary College, where friends and family pay their respects and say their final goodbyes.
Ms Bowles died in a Bangkok hospital on November 21 after consuming a drink allegedly laced with methanol during a night out in Laos with best friend Bianca Jones, 19.
The pair were on the holiday of a lifetime, travelling through Thailand and Laos during November.
They were staying in Nana Backpackers Hostel in the tourist town of Vang Vieng when the alleged mass drink-spiking incident occurred.
More than 1,000 mourners are expected to attend the funeral service, which is taking place in Beaumaris Secondary College in Melbourne’s southeast.
Holly Bowles died after a suspected mass poisoning during a holiday in South-East Asia. Picture: Facebook
Melbourne teen Bianca Jones, also died following the suspected mass drink-spiking. Picture: Facebook
Outside the school’s entrance, flags were lowered to half-mast to pay respect for the teenager.
Blue and yellow ribbons tied to the fence quivered in the wind as mourners walked through the front gates.
Soft music could be heard playing before the service.
One of the blue and yellow ribbons tied outside the school during the funeral for Holly Bowles. Picture: NewsWire
More than 1,000 mourners are expected to attend the funeral service. Picture: NewsWire
Emerging through a plethora of attendees in black, a sea of young women in pink and white flooded the school grounds, paying tribute to Ms Bowles’ favourite colour with bows in their hair and a fluttering of other light colours.
While attendees were encouraged to wear bright colours at the funeral for Bianca Jones on Friday, several attendees collectively decided to don soft pink to Ms Bowles’ service.
Speaking on behalf of the school and Ms Bowles’ parents Shaun and Samantha and brother James, Beaumaris Secondary College acting principal, Peter Bartlett, described the day as the “most difficult time” of the family’s lives.
The Beaumaris Football Club posted an image of Holly Bowles in her school uniform in year 7 and year 12 as part of a tribute ahead of her funeral at Beaumaris Secondary College. Picture: Supplied
“We would like to thank the people of Australia and Canada for their outpouring of love and compassion during this extremely difficult time,” Mr Bartlett said on behalf of the family.
“Your kindness has been a source of strength and comfort for our family.
“Today is a fairly significant day for our family, as we come together to celebrate the life of Holly.
“Holly was loved and adored by so many people. Today is a celebration of her life, though she will remain in our thoughts forever.
“We would like to thank those who have helped in the preparation for today.
“To support our ongoing mission, we have launched a GoFundMe campaign dedicated to Holly and Bianca.”
Ms Bowles was among six other foreign nationals who died in the drink-spiking event, including her best friend, Ms Jones, who died in a Thailand hospital on November 20.
It’s understood the girls were offered free shots at the bar of the hostel before going out and drinking at other bars.
Tributes of blue and yellow ribbons and flowers on display at Beaumaris Football Club for Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles. Picture: NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui
The owner of the hostel has denied giving the reportedly methanol-laced alcohol from his bar.
The pair were found in their hostel room after failing to check out, both too severely ill to leave.
They were taken to separate hospitals in Thailand in a critical condition, where they tragically died days later.
The four other tourists that died in the alleged drink-spiking incident include British lawyer Simon White, 28, US man James Louis Huston, 57, and two Danish women, Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20 and Frela Vennervald Sorensen, 21.
Following the death of the two girls, their families received an outpouring of support, with hundreds of tributes dedicated to the “vibrant” and “adventurous” girls. Ms Bowles’ family have asked for people to donate to the girls’ GoFundMe page in lieu of flowers.
So far, the fundraiser has raised over $413,000, which will offer financial relief to the families, supporting awareness of methanol poisoning and launching a safety initiative for travellers.