A body has been found at sea in the search for a British backpacker who went missing in Cambodia.
Amelia Bambridge vanished from a beach in Koh Rong island, late on Wednesday night. Her remains were found more than 30 miles from where she disappeared, Cambodian police said.
The 21-year-old from Worthing, West Sussex, was reported missing after she failed to check out of her hotel on time, and staff at Police Beach, a private venue on the island, found her purple rucksack with her purse, phone and bank cards inside the following morning.
Her brother, Harry Bambridge, confirmed the news on Instagram. He said: “I’ve just seen her and I can confirm it’s my little sister Amelia. I’m so sorry to all her friends and family, there’s nothing more I wanted than to bring her back alive and I really fucking tried.
“And I’m sorry to you, Amelia Bambridge, the round is on me when we meet again in heaven.”
Her sister Sharon Schultes also wrote an emotional tribute on the family’s fundraising page. She said: “It breaks my heart to let all my close family and friends know the horrendous outcome that we didn’t want. Now we have to get our Amelia back home to England so we can lay her beautiful soul to rest and to remember the wonderful life she lived.”
The Lucie Blackman Trust, a charity which assists families of missing UK nationals abroad, tweeted: “We are aware of the very tragic news from Cambodia.”
Tim Loughton, MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, said: “Devastated to hear the terribly sad news about Amelia Bambridge this morning, the thoughts and prayers of everyone in Worthing are with her family and friends.”
Members of Bambridge’s family had travelled to the island to join the search for her.
On Wednesday, the police chief for Preah Sihanouk province, the area where Bambridge was last seen, said he believed she had drowned.
Six men who work at restaurants, hotels and guest houses on the island were questioned and released without charge on Tuesday evening.
Officials said the men were taken into custody because of complaints by Western tourists that they had acted “badly” towards visiting women.
Bambridge set off on her trip on September 27, when she flew to Vietnam, her family said.
Her father, Phil Bambridge, who travelled to the island, said on Tuesday that he believed she had been “taken”.
Mr Bambridge added that, having viewed CCTV, he believed she had been lost inland.
On Wednesday, Bambridge’s family criticised the Foreign Office for its lack of support in a petition.
The change.org petition was started by Bambridge’s close friend, Temisis Conway, and has been promoted by members of the missing backpacker’s family, including her sister, Schultes.
The petition said the FCO was not helping them look for Bambridge and that the family had been left without a good translator “for days”.
The Foreign Office said its staff are on the island, are in contact with the Cambodian authorities responsible for carrying out the identification and continue to support Bambridge’s family.