Welsh teen found dead in hostel in Laos
Lee Bartlett died in mysterious circumstances in Laos. Mark and Helen Bartlett
A Welsh family are still without answers after their 19-year-old son was found dying in a hostel in the southeast Asian country of Laos.
Lee Bartlett died in a Laotian hospital after his friend woke up to find him unresponsive and "breathing funny", Wales Online reports.
He had no sign of injuries or restraint, an autopsy found.
Lee Bartlett was holidaying in Laos when he died. Mark and Helen Bartlett
A toxicology report found Mr Bartlett had trace amounts of paracetamol, codeine and diazepam in his system, but it could not be determined whether they were a factor in his death.
A report tended to a Welsh coroners' court said Mr Bartlett may have had a hereditary heart condition, like his brother.
"If toxicology is negative this should be labelled as a sudden adult death," cardiac pathologist Mary Sheppard told the coronial inquest yesterday.
Laos is an increasingly popular tourism destination in southeast Asia. iStock
Drug use among tourists is notorious in Laos, but Mr Bartlett had no illegal drugs in his system.
His parents remembered Mr Bartlett as a "bright, intelligent and popular" teen who loved sports and the outdoors.
He had been staying in Vang Vieng, one of Laos' most popular tourist towns.
Several Australian tourists have died in Vang Vieng in the past decade.
Two young Melbourne men died while "tubing" in a river near Vang Vieng in 2012.
Another Melbourne tourist broke her ankle after leaping off a tower and landing awkwardly in the Nam Song River.
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