North graduate killed in gap year tragedy

Apr 14 2008 The Journal

A DURHAM University graduate was last night named as one of five Britons who died when a gap year adventure turned to tragedy.

Sarah Howard, 26, who graduated from Durham in 2003, was one of 17 British travellers on board a coach driving from the capital Quito to Puerto Lopez that crashed in Sancan, western Ecuador, on the road between Manta and Jipijapa on Saturday.

It is believed a lorry loaded with sand slammed into the left-hand side of the bus, and the lorry driver fled the scene immediately after the crash.

The group were reaching the end of an eight-hour journey and were just 30 minutes from their destination when the accident happened. In total five British women died, with another 12 people sustaining whiplash, minor facial and leg injuries.

A French national and two Ecuadorians were also taken to hospital.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office last night confirmed the names of the other women killed as Rebecca Logie, 20, from Lancashire, Indira Swann, 19, from Berkshire, Elizabeth Pincock, 19, from Somerset, and Emily Sadler, 20, from Middlesex.

Ms Howard was a freelance tour guide on her first expedition with VentureCo, the Warwick-based gap year specialists.

The group she was supervising consisting mainly of students and had just completed a Spanish language course.

They were on their way to the fishing village of Puerto Lopez, where they were to build sanitation and other facilities for a children’s creche.

According to her Facebook profile, Ms Howard graduated from Durham in 2003 and last night a spokesman from the university paid tribute to the former student.

He said: “We are very sorry to learn of Sarah’s death and the thoughts and prayers of the Durham University community are with her family and friends at this very sad time. Our sympathy also goes to all those who have been affected by this tragedy.”

A spokesman for the FCO said the Ecuadorian military had flown the acting British ambassador to visit the injured in hospital in the town of Manta. It is thought that most of them will return to Quito in the coming days.

A spokesman from the FCO said: “We understand that the Ecuador authorities have appointed a prosecutor to investigate the accident – we welcome this.”

Prime Minister Gordon Brown expressed his sadness at the tragic news. His spokesman said: “The Prime Minister was deeply saddened to hear of the deaths of five young British people in Ecuador. His thoughts are with their families and friends.”

In a statement VentureCo said: “As soon as we are authorised to do so, we will conduct a full investigation.”