Amelia Bambridge: Body of missing British backpacker found at sea in Cambodia, police say

Search team discover body floating more than 30 miles from island where 21-year-old last seen

The body of missing British backpacker Amelia Bambridge has been found at sea, Cambodian police have said.

A search team came across the body floating in the Gulf of Thailand more than 30 miles northwest of the island of Koh Rong, where the 21-year-old was last seen a week ago.

“Based on the identity given to us, the tattoo on her body and the clothes she was last seen in, we believe it is her,” said Lieutenant General Tea Sokha, deputy commander of Cambodia’s navy. He said authorities had been tipped off about the body’s location by fishermen who first spotted it.

Detectives have previously said they feared Bambridge, from Worthing in West Sussex, may have drowned.

The body will be taken to the mainland port city of Sihanoukville for formal identification and autopsy to establish cause of death.

Bambridge’s sister, Sharon Schultes, said the family had received “the most horrific confirmation” that she “is no longer with us”.

Writing on a family fundraising page, she wrote: “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.”

Bambridge was last seen at a beach party in the early hours of 24 October. Her bag, still containing money and a mobile phone, was later discovered on a rock near the shore and her passport was found in the hostel room where she was staying after she failed to check out.

About 150 people joined an intensive land, sea and air search for the backpacker, with divers, navy and police drafted in.

Bambridge’s parents and brother travelled to Cambodia last week to help look for her, and said they feared she had been abducted or become lost in Koh Rong’s dense jungle.

Police have questioned more than 20 people, some of them reportedly local bar workers, about her disappearance but no arrests have been made.

The Foreign Office said it had staff on Koh Rong who were in contact with the Cambodian authorities responsible for carrying out the identification of the body.

Tim Loughton, MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, tweeted: “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.”