THE fiance of a British tourist found dead in a Vietnamese villa said he was “happy” in a final message.
Greta Marie Otteson, 33, and Arno Els Quinton, 36, were found dead by a cleaner on Boxing Day with cops now investigating after officers found empty bottles of wine.
Arno’s pal – who didn’t want to be named – said the South African had sounded super happy and excited about Christmas in a voice message sent just hours before his passing.
He told The Times: “I think their plans were just to be together and experience [Christmas] in a new country. It’s very tragic.
There are two distinct things that are so prominent in my thoughts and that is her laugh and how much love they constantly [threw] at each other, regardless of who was around.
“They celebrated each other there and I know they will continue doing that, wherever they are.”
It is not yet clear how the couple died – with Vietnamese cops probing the deaths.
The pair were found in separate rooms – but friends said the pair were so in love.
Another of Arno’s friends – Dayle Visser – paid another heartbreaking tribute online.
Visser wrote: “Rest in peace my brother. Thank you for always being the fierce friend you were. You saved me many a time.
“You were real and lived life harder than most people could ever dream of. I love you and I will always miss you.”
A pal of Greta’s said: “Greta loved Arno unconditionally and was his bedrock, giving him the freedom to do what he needed to without a faltering foundation.
“There are two distinct things that are so prominent in my thoughts and that is her laugh and how much love they constantly [threw] at each other, regardless of who was around.
“They celebrated each other there and I know they will continue doing that, wherever they are.”
A Quang Nam Provincial Police spokesman said: “There were no signs of ransacking at the scene. The victims’ belongings and phones were untouched.”
Police said there were also no signs of scratches or physical trauma inflicted on the bodies.
They collected several empty liquor bottles in the room for further analysis.
Both had been staying at the tourist villa since July.
The luxury villa with its own pool has a 4.5-star rating and is located just 4.5 km from Hoi An Ancient Town, making it a popular tourist destination.
Arno and Greta had met in the Middle East while travelling before deciding to spontaneously move to Vietnam.
Social media marketing manager Greta had been living in Dubai and backpacked around Asia before meeting barista and musician Arno.
He described the move to Vietnam as “fun”, “crazy”, and “insane” in a heartwarming clip he posted on social media.
An Instagram post on December 3 made their engagement official and this was followed by a romantic YouTube video on December 11, two weeks before they died.
The video production company Red Eye Studios shared the video saying: “This shoot was charged with so much emotion, reminding us how powerful the union of two souls can be. We will miss you great souls.”
Greta donned a white dress and was filmed walking hand-in-hand with her husband-to-be before the pair danced and laughed on the beach.
The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “We are supporting the family of a British woman who has died in Vietnam and are in contact with the local authorities.”
