Vietnam waterfall deaths: 'Two bright lights have gone out,' say family of British sisters killed in tragedy

The family of two British sisters who died while climbing waterfalls in Vietnam today said: "Two bright lights have gone out."

Beth Anderson, 24, and her sister Isobel Mackensie Squire, 19, died along with former Royal Navy sailor Christian Sloan, 25, at the Datanla waterfalls in Lam Dong province on Friday.

The women, who were from the Ecclesall area of Sheffield, were seven weeks into a backpacking tour of Asia.

In a statement released via South Yorkshire Police, their family said: "Two bright lights have gone out.

"They shone brightly for 24 and 19 years for everyone who loved and adored them and everyone who came into contact with them.

"Sisters, Beth and Izzy were living a life of adventure and did so, right to the end."

The circumstances of the tragedy at the falls remain unclear. But yesterday an official for the company that manages the attraction, which is popular with Western tourists, claimed an unauthorised guide had arranged the fatal trip.

They apparently did not pay for entrance tickets and did not use the company’s safety gear.

Police in Vietnam are investigating. South Yorkshire Police said its officers were supporting the family and working alongside the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to establish the full circumstances of the incident.