Amelia Bambridge, from Worthing, has disappeared while travelling alone through dense forests in Cambodia
The mother of a British backpacker has joined the search for her daughter who went missing in the early hours of yesterday morning after leaving a beach party.
Amelia Bambridge, 21, from Worthing, West Sussex, was travelling alone for the first time on the island of Koh Rong, in the south west of mainland Cambodia.
The gap year student was last seen at a party on Police Beach, 40 minutes away from her hostel, at 3am on Wednesday.
Her mother, Linda Schultes, 52, is due to arrive on the island today hoping that her daughter has got ‘lost on the way back’ from the party.
Ms Schultes was contacted by the manager of the Nest Beach Club hostel after Amelia failed to check out of the hostel.
Her handbag, containing her purse, phone and bank cards, was found on a nearby beach while her passport remained at the hostel.
Worried mother Linda Schultes, 52, has taken an emergency flight to the island to join a search party of concerned locals and police
Ms Schultes said: ‘This is very out of character, she is normally so organised.
‘I don’t know what to think. The police have confirmed she is missing – apparently the embassy is closed until Monday.
‘There doesn’t seem to be any urgency. Her friend is still there as they were due to leave the island today, but she hasn’t left because Amelia is missing.’
Amelia’s brother, Harry, a former paratrooper, posted on Facebook: ‘For all the religious people can you please do me a big favour and pray for my sister Amelia Bambridge.
Amelia’s family have posted a picture on her Instagram of the outfit they believe she was last seen in (left). Her mother (right) said: ‘I’m going to Bangkok, getting another flight to the country, then transport from the capital to the coastline’
‘I’m about to board a plane from LA as she’s been missing on her travels in Cambodia for over 48 hours now.
‘I’ve asked who ever might be up there, to look after her for just another 20 hours and her big brother will be there as soon as I can be.
Thanks for everyone who’s showed their support, especially to my family back home.’
The former Brighton, Hove & Sussex Sixth Form student was due to check out of her youth hostel at noon yesterday to leave the island later in the afternoon with a friend.
She has been declared officially missing by local authorities.
As she prepared to leave the family home in Worthing, Ms Schultes said: ‘I have got numbers of people to contact in Cambodia.
‘I’m going to Bangkok, getting another flight to the country, then transport from the capital to the coastline.
‘From there I will get a ferry, hopefully arriving at 2pm tomorrow afternoon local time.’
It is understood there are no lights on the path from Police Beach to the Nest Beach Club, which is 40 minutes away through thick forest.
Her mother, Linda Schultes, 52, is now taking an emergency flight to the island to join a search party of concerned locals and police
She was staying at a hostel, the Nest Beach Club, on a southern bay of the island. Her handbag – which had her purse, phone and bank cards in it – was found on a beach 40 minutes away where she had been at a party
Her mother is hoping that Amelia, a former student at Bhasvic in Hove, got ‘lost on her way back’ and the search party will be able to find her.
Amelia’s sister, Georgie Bambridge, 19, told the BBC that her relatives were in pieces and said that her sister was an integral part of the family.
‘We need to be strong and we are trying to be really positive, but it’s the unknown,’ she said.
During an earlier interview, Georgie said that Amelia would message the family whenever she had wifi.
She said: ‘She is strong minded, really sensible and very organised.
‘She spent the last year Googling solo female travelling, looking at pages and blogs and sorting out everything.
‘I’m just in shock, she has never done anything like this before.
‘I spoke to her Wednesday and she normally messages us every now and then, every time she got wifi.
Amelia was last seen on Police Beach, Koh Rong Island in Cambodia at a beach party. It is a 40-minute walk to her hostel at the Nest Beach Club
Amelia’s handbag, which had her purse, phone and bank cards in it, was found on the beach after a party held on Wednesday night. Her passport is still at the hostel, the Nest Beach Club
Concerned family members have posted a comment on Amelia’s Instagram page telling her followers that she was last seen wearing a tropical print shirt and describing her tattoos. Left: Amelia and her mother, Ms Schultes
‘I told her to put loads of pictures online to see what she was up to. It’s horrendous but we need to be positive and she needs to be found.’
Amelia left the UK last month after completing an apprenticeship.
Ryan Harris, 18, who was part of the group travelling the Asian country with the 21-year-old, raised the alarm.
He said that the operation into finding Amelia has now stepped up in to full gear.
‘People are diving. People are checking the jungles and the beaches,’ he said.
‘Police sent three search teams out, so they’re helping as well. It’s a whole island thing now. Everyone’s looking.’
Ryan moved on to another island with plans to link back up with Miss Bambridge later.
He said: ‘She was one of the first people I met over here about a week ago.
‘I met her in Phnom Penh and we got the boat to Koh Rong, we all spent a few days together and met up with a few other people in a big group.
Ryan Harris, 18, who was part of the group travelling the Asian country with the 21-year-old, raised the alarm
Cambodian police have been informed but Ryan said they had indicated nothing would be done until Miss Bambridge had been missing for 72 hours. He said: ‘She was one of the first people I met over here about a week ago’
‘We went on to a neighbouring island but she stayed there with another girl I know who had travelled with us on the boat over.
‘I then had to travel back to Koh Rong after leaving my passport at the hostel and when I got there two people told me she had gone missing.
‘I assumed she would turn up but I have since travelled another 12 hours on a bus to Siem Reap and she still has not been found. She is supposed to be in Siem Reap by now.
‘From my experience I would say it is out of character for her not to come back after a few hours and it is a small island.
Amelia was last seen wearing a tropical print shirt. She has a cow tattoo on her forearm and two cat tattoos on her legs
‘Even if you go your separate ways after a few drinks you see people again ten or 20 minutes later. She should have come back by now.’
Ryan explained that the hostel held passports to ensure customers paid the bill but Amelia had not gone back for hers.
‘She hasn’t gone back for that or checked out which raises a red flag,’ he said.
Amelia was last seen wearing a tropical print shirt, according to the Lucie Blackman Trust.
She has a cow tattoo on her forearm and two cat tattoos on her legs.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: ‘We are assisting the family of a British woman who has been reported missing in Cambodia and are in close contact with the Cambodian police.’