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The Canadian tourist who was found dead on a beach in Australia earlier this week surrounded by a pack of dingoes likely drowned, according to preliminary autopsy results.
Piper James, 19, of Campbell River, B.C., was found dead on a beach on K’gari, formerly called Fraser Island, at 6:35 a.m. local time on Monday, according to a news release. She had set an alarm for 5 a.m. to see the sunrise and go for a swim, her father previously told CBC News.
On Friday, a spokesperson with the Coroners Court of Queensland said a coroner completed a preliminary assessment and “found physical evidence consistent with drowning.” In addition, James had injuries consistent with dingo bites, the spokesperson said, but added the most significant injuries were likely sustained after her death.
“Pre-mortem dingo bite marks are not likely to have caused immediate death. There are extensive post-mortem dingo bite marks,” the spokesperson said.
“There is no evidence that any other person was involved.”
The Coroners Court added they were now awaiting pathology results to help determine the cause of death, which could take several weeks.
WATCH | Canadian found dead identified as Piper James:
Canadian woman found dead on Australian beach identified
The Canadian woman found dead on an Australian beach surrounded by wild dogs, known as dingoes, has been identified as 19-year-old Piper James from Campbell River, B.C. It remains unclear if James drowned or was attacked by the dogs.
Piper’s father, Todd James, previously told CBC News that police told him Piper’s death likely happened one of three ways: she drowned swimming and dingoes attacked her remains; the dingoes chased her into the water, where she drowned; or she was attacked and killed by dingoes on the beach.
The preliminary autopsy results note Piper had both pre- and postmortem dingo bites.
“She was so strong,” James said, recalling the years his daughter worked at the B.C. Wildfire Service, where he said her supervisor was surprised by her strength, given that she was so young and only five feet five inches tall.
“She’s just a little powerhouse and that’s why we know she would have fought so hard.”
Todd James, left, and his daughter Piper are pictured in this undated photo posted to Todd’s Facebook account. (Todd James/Facebook)Death stoked dingo fears
K’gari is located around 250 kilometres north of Brisbane on Australia’s east coast.
In a news conference on Monday, Queensland police Insp. Paul Algie of Wide Bay Burnett District said two men found her body on the beach surrounded by “approximately 10 dingoes” and called the police. She was confirmed dead shortly after police arrived.
Her death sent shockwaves around the world, and raised fears of another dingo attack on K’gari, where dingoes are a protected species.
In October, a school-age boy was hospitalized after being attacked by a dingo on K’gari. In July 2023, Australia’s ABC News reported there had already been more than 130 “threatening or high-risk incidents” between humans and wild dingoes reported on K’gari so far that year.Â
In one of the incidents, a 23-year-old woman reportedly out jogging was mauled by a pack that chased and corralled her into the water, according to the Guardian. She was hospitalized with multiple bite wounds.
In 2001, a nine-year-old boy was killed by dingoes on K’gari. Police at the time said the dogs stalked the boy and attacked him when he tripped and fell.
A dingo is seen on a beach on K’gari in this file photo. Dingoes are a protected species on the island. (Getty Images)