'She was a beautiful bubbly girl'

7:23am Wednesday 16th April 2008

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FAMILY and friends of a former Northwood who was killed in a bus crash in Ecuador have paid tribute to a "beautiful, bubbly girl with her whole life ahead of her".

Emily Sadler, 19, of Astons Road, was travelling in South America after completing her A-Levels at the North London Collegiate School, in Canons Drive.

She was in a group heading from the capital Quito to the coastal town of Puerto Lopez on Saturday, April 12, when the bus they were in collided with a truck near Jipijapa.

Miss Sadler last spoke to her family on Wednesday, April 9, when she rang to tell them about the "fantastic" time she was having.

Her family said: "She was a beautiful, bubbly girl with her whole life ahead of her. She was the kind of girl that everybody loved.

"Her loss is indescribable."

Friend Rebecca Stahlnacke, 14, stayed with the Sadler family when visiting England from Sweden last year.

She called Miss Sadler "the most wonderful person" she had ever met.

She said: "I'm so happy I got to know her. I saw her as my older sister and at the same time as my best friend.

"If I wanted to describe Emily, I'd say that she's the girl who can always come up with something new. She's the one who makes you ride the scariest rollercoaster, dress up like a princess, sing like a crazy person even if singing is your biggest fear - just to have something to remember.

"Emily lived her life to the fullest but she had so many things left to do."

Miss Sadler was an enthusiastic traveller and had previously visited South Africa on a World Challenge trip with the North London Collegiate School.

She left Britain on March 27, and had planned to travel from Ecuador to Bolivia and Peru.

The school paid tribute to the former student as a "talented, popular and considerate student" with a bright future ahead of her.

It said: "She was generous in her time and commitment to others and was very excited about her travel and volunteering plans for this year.

"It is devastating that her life has been cut short so tragically."

One of five children, Miss Sadler had saved for her gap year travels by working as a swimming teacher for the Hillingdon Borough Swimming Club, and as a teaching assistant in a local school.

This September she was due to start her first year at Manchester University to study history.

Emily lived with her parents Graham and Kay, her two sisters Annelisa and Libby, and her two brothers George and William.

The other four crash victims have been named as Elizabeth Pincock, Indira Swann, Rebecca Logie and tour guide Sarah Howard.