In the White family home, photographs of 28-year-old Simone are everywhere. They capture graduations, holidays, and beaming smiles—a typical gallery of cherished memories. But these images now tell a story that was tragically cut short. Simone, a passionate traveller and trainee lawyer, never returned from what was supposed to be the backpacking trip of a lifetime in Laos.
“She was really excited because she was going out there to meet up with her friend Bethany, who she hadn’t seen for seven months,” her brother, Zak, tells BBC Newsbeat. A seasoned traveller, Simone’s departure felt routine. Their farewell was casual, a simple wish for her to “have a nice time.”
It was the last time he would see her alive.
Simone White died suddenly from methanol poisoning after consuming a contaminated drink, a hidden danger that turns a moment of holiday fun into a fatal tragedy. For Zak and his family, the shock and grief are now compounded by a painful, everyday reality: the sight of friends laughing over a round of shots, a social ritual that now only brings back the devastating memory of the sister they lost.
By James Kisoo
