The football club that Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones called home has been left shattered by the Laos mass poisoning tragedy that has rocked the community.
It was confirmed on Friday a 28-year-old British woman became the fifth person to die after consuming poisoned alcoholic drinks that are suspected to have been laced with deadly chemical methanol.
It follows the heartbreaking news Ms Jones, 19, died in a hospital in Thailand surrounded by her family.
The death has devastated their local community in Melbourne’s beachside suburb of Beaumaris — and the Beaumaris Football Club has been among the hardest hit.
Club president Nick Heath has now told the ABC friends and teammates from the Sharks U18s team met together at the club this week to show care for each other.
Heath said in a statement posted on the club’s Facebook page on Wednesday the pair’s teammates were “struggling to come to terms with what has occurred”.
He finished the message by saying: “Once a Shark, Always a Shark”.
The statement announced the club will soon establish a GoFundMe campaign to help the Bowles and Jones families.
The club’s statement also provided gut-wrenching details about how the pair’s Beaumaris Sharks teammates are coping with the tragedy.
Ms Bowles, 19, remains on life support in a Bangkok hospital. Her parents are by her side.
Heath’s statement showed how difficult the week has been for everyone involved.
“It is with a heavy heart that I inform you of the passing of former Beaumaris Football Club junior Bianca Jones,” he wrote.
“Bianca’s brave fight ended today in the loving embrace of family in Thailand.
“The Beaumaris Football Club extends its deepest sympathy to Michelle and Mark Jones and their extended family at this traumatic time.
“Our football community has been built upon the values of togetherness, care, compassion, and mateship. In this dark hour we come together to remember and grieve for a fellow Shark — a young girl Bianca taken too soon, but who will be forever in our hearts.
“Bianca was a much-loved player during her time playing for the Sharks. Bianca joined the Sharks in 2021 in our evolving girls Under 16’s and continued into 2022 where she was an integral part of the premiership winning BFC U18s Girls team.
“Relatively new to footy, but keen to follow in Dad Mark’s footsteps, Bianca’s main attributes were her speed and agility. More importantly, she quickly bonded with her teammates due to her spirited efforts to improve herself as a player and her vivacious sparkling personality that lifted the team on cold training nights and matchday.
“Bianca’s infectious charm and tenacity made her a fondly regarded teammate and friend. Her smile, exuberance and happy nature made her a delight to be around.
“The Jones and Bowles families take great comfort from the overwhelming amount of Club and Australia wide support there has been for Bianca and Holly.
“We will shortly announce a GoFundMe assistance program for the families of both girls. Whilst we have all felt largely helpless here in Australia, wouldn’t it be special if the Aussie spirit can at least relieve the families of the financial burden this situation has caused both families.”
The statement also described Ms Bowles and Ms Jones as “besties”.
He also said a pre-season launch event at the club has been delayed and will instead become an opportunity for participants in the club’s senior teams to gather 토토사이트 around each other.
According to the club’s Facebook page, the event had previously been an opportunity for players to “Meet The Coaches” at the Beaumaris Lawn Bowls Club.
On Friday morning the tragedy became even sadder when the UK Foreign Office confirmed 28-year-old lawyer Simone White, from Orpington in Kent, had also passed away.
Ms White was an associate lawyer specialising in intellectual property and technology in London at the American law firm Squire Patton Boggs, The Times reports.
Ms White was travelling with a group who also fell ill after consuming drinks in Vang Vieng on Tuesday night last week.
It is still not known where the contaminated drinks were sold
Simone’s friend Bethany Clarke raised the alarm with an urgent warning on the Laos Backpacking Facebook group.
She wrote: “Urgent — please avoid all local spirits. Our group stayed in Vang Vieng and we drank free shots offered by one of the bars.
“Just avoid them as so not worth it. Six of us who drank from the same place are in hospital currently with methanol poisoning.”
Bethany added that she was “very fatigued and then fainted, then just felt nauseous and then my liver started to shut down”.
She continued: “I got to the private hospital in time but underwent many infusions and tablets and days of recovery.”
A group of 10 backpackers — including the 19-year-old Australian pair — fell ill after the apparent poisoning while staying at the tourist hotspot Vang Vieng.
Ms Jones and her best friend Ms Bowles were on the backpacking holiday of a lifetime in Southeast Asia. The pair were visiting Vang Vieng, a popular tourist town about 130km north of the capital city Vientiane in Laos, when the teenagers allegedly consumed drinks spiked with methanol before falling ill.
On Thursday afternoon, Ms Jones’ parents confirmed their daughter had died.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share the news that our beloved daughter and sister, Bianca Jones, has passed away,” the statement read.
“She was surrounded by love, and we are comforted by the knowledge that her incredible spirit touched so many lives during her time with us.
“We want to express our deepest gratitude for the overwhelming support, love, and prayers we’ve received from across Australia.
“The kindness shown to our family during this unimaginable time has been truly humbling.
“We kindly ask for privacy as we navigate through our grief and begin to heal. Thank you for respecting our family’s space.