Tragic Last Texts Of Brit Backpacker Who Died In Cambodian Hostel With Friend

@nataliejadeseymour / Instagram

The mother of a British backpacker, who died in a Cambodian hostel after taking medicine for an upset stomach, has revealed the last texts they shared. 

The two backpackers, 22-year-old Natalie Jade Seymour and her 27-year-old friend, Abbey Gail Amisola, from Canada, were found dead in the Monkey Republic Guest House, in the southern city of Kampot.

Natalie’s mother, Wendy Bowler, believes the friends died after taking over-the-counter drugs for stomach ailments, on the advice of a Cambodian chemist.

60-year-old Bowler said her daughter, who was just 22, had recently messaged her to say she was ‘wasn’t well’ and ‘might go and get something to make her feel better’, reports the Daily Mail.

Cambodia’s Department of Immigration said preliminary investigations found Ms Seymour and Ms Amisola had been ‘suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting’.

Their hostel room floor was found scattered with the pills the women has taken to cure their sickness.

Police Handout

Wendy said:

My daughter had already told me she wasn’t well and said she might go and get something to make her feel better. 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, or that’s what I hoped. And then they were found by, I don’t know? At the minute, bodies are in the morgue and they’ll be sent over, she’ll be 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 police came here and told me this morning at 5 o’clock, I had no idea.

@nataliejadeseymour / Instagram

Natalie had left the UK last week, on a one-way ticket to adventure to meet Abbey Amisola in Cambodia, after meeting and befriending her last year in Bali.

Natalie had worked for telecommunications equipment company Mayflex in St Neots, Cambridgeshire.

Natalie’s mother added:

She was staying in the Monkey Republic Guesthouse with her friend, they were doing all these sight-seeing things, she loved all that sort of stuff.

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.

It’s understood the women were found by a staff member who raised the alarm – they were rushed to Kampot provincial hospital but they could not be revived.

Local reports suggested they’d already passed away when found in the hostel.

A forensic examination is being prepared to establish the exact cause of death.

Monkey Republic Guesthouse

A member of management at the Monkey Republic Hostel said:

We are all deeply shocked and very sad for the families and friends of these two very nice women. It seems they were very close friends who were travelling together.

They arrived together and went around together. 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.

A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesperson told said:

We are supporting the family of a British woman who has died in Cambodia, and are in contact with the local authorities investigating her death.

Long Youpheng, political and public diplomacy officer at the UK embassy in Cambodia said:

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.

Francesca Donovan

A former emo kid who talks too much about 8Chan meme culture, the Kardashian Klan, and how her smartphone is probably killing her. Francesca is a Cardiff University Journalism Masters grad who has done words for BBC, ELLE, The Debrief, DAZED, an art magazine you’ve never heard of and a feminist zine which never went to print.