A devastating gap year tragedy has struck one of Britain’s richest men for the second time in three decades after a building tycoon’s daughter died in a horror motorbike crash in Vietnam.
Orla Waits, 19, died after being violently thrown from a motorcycle and crushed by a lorry while traveling in South East Asia.
The tragedy struck when the teenager was exploring the area during a gap year before starting university.
His death is an eerie echo of another calamity that rocked the mighty Nirman dynasty some 30 years before, Revealed through mail.
In 1996, his cousin William Waits was murdered during his hiatus abroad.
William was also only 19 when he was murdered in August 1996 while on a gap year trip.
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As soon as the motorcyclist slid straight into the ball of fire, it caught fire.
The adventurous teen was traveling through Central America when he was ambushed by bandits in a remote mountainous area in Honduras, close to the Nicaraguan border.
He spent four months traveling through South and Central America.
Prior to this he had volunteered for two months in Ecuador planting trees and helping local communities.
The youngest of five brothers, William was a student at Radley College.
He took a year out before starting a degree in Ancient History at the University of Nottingham.
But their journey ends in shocking violence.
Farmers found his body lying on the roadside.
William was hit by five bullets in the heart, head and back.
His travelers cheques, credit cards and cash were missing.
Police believe that two Latin American men robbed and murdered him.
This couple was living here next A room for him in a hotel in the border town of Danli, about 40 miles away.
Last night, William was seen leaving the hotel with her.
His father Andrew Waits was chairman of Waits Leisure and a director of the family firm Waits Building Group at the time of the tragedy.
Now aged 85, he retired from business in 2010.
He was also very famous in the racing world.
Only a few weeks before William’s death his horse Rough Quest had won the famous Grand National title.
In an extraordinary act of restraint, Andrew hid the devastating news Hundreds of staff attended a long-planned garden party at the family’s country estate near Dorking in Surrey.
Only after this he went to Honduras to bring his son’s body home.
Following William’s death the family established the William Waites Memorial Trust.
The charity has since raised millions of pounds.
It supports projects helping disadvantaged children and young people escape the cycle of crime.
Both the teenagers were just 19 years old when their lives were brutally cut short thousands of miles away from home.
Orla was traveling through northern Vietnam on the infamous Ha Giang Loop – a winding mountain route famous among backpackers for its amazing scenery.
The teenager was sitting in the back seat when the driver suddenly lost control.
She fell on the road before being hit by a passing lorry.
Orla was taken to Việt Đức Friendship Hospital after the accident.
But despite the tireless efforts of doctors, he tragically died of his injuries on 2 April.
The reasons for the incident are being investigated.
Her parents, Andrew, 56, and Henrietta Waits, 53, made the extraordinary decision to donate their daughter’s organs.
The selfless act saved the lives of three seriously ill Vietnamese patients.
Orla’s liver, kidneys and corneas were transplanted to patients at the hospital.
Her mother said: “Orla was beautiful, independent and very funny, with a sharp wit. She loved to look good and she loved to live life to the fullest.”
“At this extremely difficult time for our family, we decided to donate Orla’s organs, because we believe that if there were a way to give others the opportunity, this is what Orla would have wanted. Knowing that she lives on through them gives us great comfort.”
Her father Andrew also spoke emotionally about his daughter.
“She loved to look good and lived life to the fullest,” he told Vietnam News.
Orla’s mother said the family was consoled to know their daughter was “alive”.
She told the outlet: “At this extremely difficult time for our family, we decided to donate Orla’s organs, because we believe that if there was a way to give others the opportunity, that is what Orla would have wanted.
“Knowing that he lives on through them gives us great comfort.”
A representative of the hospital praised the family’s compassionate decision.
He said: “Faced with profound grief, her family took an extremely compassionate decision – transcending nationality and race – to donate her organs, giving others a chance at life.
“A journey has ended, but his life continues quietly and resiliently among others who have been given a second chance.”
Vietnam’s Health Minister later wrote a letter to the family expressing condolences and gratitude.
Orla was traveling to South East Asia before starting a degree course at Durham University.
His father Andrew is a director of construction giant Wates, which has reported record turnover of £2.4bn for the 2024 financial year.
The company has been run by four generations of the Waits family since it was founded in 1897 by Edward Waits.
Their family motto is “Unity comes strength”.
Today the powerful construction dynasty is estimated to be worth around £597 million.
Now, almost three decades later, another young member of the family has lost his life during a gap year adventure.
The Ha Giang Loop where Orla died is a difficult 350-400 km motorbike route through steep hills, deep valleys and rice terraces.
This breathtaking trail has become extremely popular among the youth passenger.
But its winding roads, steep slopes and unpredictable traffic can make it extremely dangerous.
