A British backpacker who has been missing in Cambodia for days was "living out her dream' and having the "best time ever'', according to her sister.
21-year-old Amelia Bambridge, who hails from Worthing, West Sussex, was last seen at a party on the island of Koh Rong in the early hours of Thursday. Staff at Police Beach, a private venue which hosts regular events, found her purple rucksack containing her wallet, phone and bank cards close to the shore later that day.
Her sister, Georgie Bambridge, told Sky News that she spoke to Amelia hours before she disappeared. She reportedly said that her first solo trip was "doing so much for her confidence" and that she was having "the best time ever".
"She said ‘everyone is so cool here’ and couldn’t be happier," Georgie continued. "She’s literally wanted to go travelling her whole life. She has spent the past two years saving for it and spent the last year reading blogs of travellers, researching what she was going to do. She knew everything and was living out her dream – she was happy."
She added that her “role model” sister “would never drink to excess” and was “always in control”, asserting “She would always be looking out for me, it’s not like her to not look after herself. I just don’t know what’s happened."
Amelia left for her trip on the 27th September, when she flew to Vietnam. Her parents were alerted to her disappearance after she failed to check out of the Nest Beach Club hostel, where her passport remained.
The 21-year-old's father and brother have since arrived on the island. "So I’ve landed in Cambodia, in a taxi to attempt to make the last ferry to the island, which is a five hour taxi," her brother, Harry, wrote on Facebook on Sunday. "I’m totally overwhelmed with everyone’s support and I can’t thank you all enough. I seriously believe there is still hope for her to be found alive."
