'Enjoy the big sleep': British influencer and new fiancé found dead in Vietnam hotel cremated as friend pays tribute

33-year-old Greta Marie Otteson and Arno Quinton Els, aged 36, had announced their engagement two weeks before they were found dead in a villa in Vietnam. They were discovered at the Hoa Ch. Tourist Villa, in the town of Hoi An, at around 11.18am on Boxing Day (Thursday December 26) in separate rooms.

Els had had told his friend he was “super happy and excited” days before his death. The friend, who did not want to be named, said he had sent him a voice message and had "sounded super happy and excited for Christmas". As he spoke to The Times, he added: "I think their plans were just to be together and experience [Christmas] in a new country. It's very tragic." The friend described them as a ­vibrant and fun-loving couple who adored each other.

No cause of death has not been announced for the pair, but another friend has revealed on Instagram that they have now been cremated. Nick Frost, who was a friend of Els, posted a lengthy message to both Els and Otteson, telling them “enjoy the big sleep”. Alongside a carousel of images of the couple and also Els and Frost, he thanked Els for being his “first real friend in Dubai”.

The statement, posted on Friday January 10, read: “They cremated you today. I took a short walk outside the office at around 2pm Hội An time to clear my mind and breathe some air and do whatever people who don’t pray do instead of praying. Having your soul go up in flames is something you would’ve loved. I know this because you literally wrote it as lyrics in one of our songs. Classic Aries behaviour.

“I still feel like you had a lot more to give the world: your music, your comedy, your photography - and also just your unique and often totally unhinged way of thinking about, and experiencing, life. For someone who thought so deeply about the nature of existence, it’s so f***ing strange that you’re no longer around to enjoy it.

“I just want to say thank you for being my first real friend in Dubai, and showing me that friendship in this place doesn’t need to be this transient, skin-deep thing. Thank you for vlolyblal. Thank you for keeping me sane through the Great Lockdown 2020. Thank you for the absolutely feral nights and the music-filled days. Thank you for being there through some of my darkest hours.”

Frost went on speak about Els and Otteson and said he was “so happy” they were together, and would always be together. In addition, he thanked the pair for leaving their pet cat to him. “Thank you for entrusting me with David Meowie who is now a core and beloved part of my life,” he said.

Returning to address Els, he went added: “Thank you for all the breakfasts. Thank you for all the fist-fights and the hair-shaving and the whiskey shots and the airport drops. Thank you for all of it. I’m so happy you and Greta are together. I remember the exact moment you told me ‘Dude I wanna spend the rest of my life with this girl, I’m gonna ask her to marry me’.”

“You guys really pulled through and did indeed spend the rest of your lives together, and now you get to spend the rest of whatever happens after that together too. Enjoy the Big Sleep my dear Arno and Greta.”

Cleaners found the bodies of social media manager and travel influencer Otteson in her bed in room 101 and her South African partner Els in room 201. Both victims had registered for long-term temporary residence at the tourist villa starting from July 4 last year.

Quang Nam Provincial Police conducted an investigation at the scene. Autopsies were also ordered. A provincial police spokesperson said: “There were no signs of ransacking at the scene. The victims’ belongings and phones were untouched.”

Initial reports indicated no signs of scratches or external force on the bodies of the couple. Police were photographed collecting several empty bottles of alcohol from both rooms and taking them away for forensic analysis.

In a YouTube video Otteson posted to announce her engagement to Els, posted just days before their deaths, the pair were seen kissing and holding hands as they walked through Hoi An. Els, who has worked as a barista and a stand-up comedian, spoke about his love for his wife-to-be in the video. He said: “Life outside is always a bit chaotic so it’s nice to have someone who can just ground you and keep you sane.”

A statement from a family spokesperson, posted on X, confirmed their deaths: “It is with a heavy heart that we confirm that Greta Otteson and Arno Els have passed away in Vietnam on the 26th of December. Please respect the family’s privacy as they have not yet completed all investigations at this time.”

They then added: “Please people, we don’t have all the answers right now. Greta and Arno’s families have not yet claimed their bodies. Please, I’m begging you, respect their pain and privacy. Do not speculate.”