British building tycoon's daughter, just 19, dies in horror motorbike crash in holiday hotspot

Dan McDonald
Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:10:00 +0000

The teenage daughter of a British building tycoon has died after a horror motorbike accident in Vietnam.

Orla Wates - the daughter of Wates director Andrew Wates - was a passenger on a motorbike travelling along the Ha Giang Loop when the driver lost control of the vehicle.

The 19-year-old was thrown from the bike and subsequently hit by a truck driving in the opposite direction.

Emergency services rushed her to the Viet Duc Friendship Hospital, where she later died from her injuries on April 2.

An investigation into the circumstances of the crash is ongoing.

The young woman had been on a gap year before she was due to begin studying at Durham University.

Her father's construction firm is valued at £2.4billion.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, her parents took the decision to donate their daughter's organs to patients in critical condition at the hospital.

Her liver, both kidneys and both corneas were successfully transplanted to recipients.

Mr Wates described his daughter as "beautiful, independent and very funny, with a sharp wit".

"She loved to look good and lived life to the full," he told Viet Nam News.

Her mother spoke of the solace the family has drawn from knowing Orla's legacy continues through those she helped.

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"At this extremely difficult time for our family, we chose to donate Orla's organs, as we believe that if there were a way to give opportunity to others, this is what Orla would have wanted," she told the outlet.

"Knowing that she is living on through them brings us great comfort."

Hospital representatives commended the family for their decision amid the devastating circumstances.

"In the face of profound grief, her family made a deeply compassionate decision that transcended nationality and race to donate her organs, giving others a chance at life," a spokesman said.

"One journey has come to an end, but her life continues quietly and resiliently in others who have been given a second chance."

Vietnam's Health Minister sent a letter to the family offering condolences and expressing sincere gratitude for their extraordinary generosity.

The Ha Giang Loop stretches between 350 and 400 kilometres through north Vietnam's mountainous terrain.

The route winds through dramatic peaks, deep valleys and terraced rice paddies, and has become increasingly popular with backpackers in recent years.