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StumbleUponGapYear Travellers’ Deaths in Ecuador Should Not Deter Others
What sad news to hear of the untimely deaths of five young women in a bus crash in Ecuador. Four of the deceased were teenagers on a gap year before starting university. This was a terrible blow to the families and friends of all concerned, and the VentureCo operators, a UK-based company which arranged the bus trip. Thankfully, most of the passengers survived the crash, but many, including some Brits, suffered serious injuries.
It seems this was just a senseless accident and a case of bad luck, something which could happen to anyone, anywhere. No doubt the driver of the lorry which allegedly crashed into them will be found and prosecuted if it is determined that he was responsible. However, it is little compensation for the girls whose lives and prospects have ended prematurely.
The family of one of the girls reported they had heard from their daughter the day before the accident. She had related tales of her adventures, the people she had met and the fantastic time she was having. They bravely urged other young people to pursue their dreams and not to be discouraged by this tragedy. These young people were giving themselves a great start to their lives and careers by seeing some of the world. Thousands of young people take off on gap year adventures every year and most do so without any major problems. The benefits of a gap year far outweigh any potential risks.
We just hope for the sake of the families concerned that all the victims of the crash had taken out travel insurance. At a time like this the families will need all the help and support they can get. The last thing they will need is to be left alone to deal with matters like repatriation of the bodies, and the associated expenses. Unfortunately, statistics have shown that many young people do venture off abroad each year without taking out insurance. This tragic event serves as a sobering reminder of why travel insurance is so important.
If you know someone who is planning a gap year or backpacker trip, please urge them to pay a little extra for the peace of mind of having travel insurance. For travel advice and information and to obtain a quote, click here. Visit our Travel Guides section for information about Ecuador.
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This entry was posted on Monday, April 14th, 2008 at 9:58 am and is filed under Backpack Travel, Travel News .You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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