Australian authorities have confirmed that a Canadian tourist, Piper James, died from drowning following a dingo attack on K’gari, a sand island off Queensland’s coast. The Coroners Court of Queensland stated that James’s death was a result of drowning amid multiple injuries sustained in the dingo attack. A forensic pathologist established the cause of death, which was accepted by the investigating coroner.
James, a 19-year-old from Campbell River, B.C., had been traveling in Australia since October with a friend. She was working on K’gari, a renowned backpacker destination and world heritage site. Her body was discovered surrounded by approximately 10 dingoes. Preliminary autopsy findings indicated that James likely drowned and had both pre- and post-mortem dingo bite marks, suggesting she was coerced into the water by the pack.
Following the incident, eight out of the ten dingoes were euthanized due to being deemed a significant public safety hazard. The investigation into James’s death remains ongoing, with no further details currently available.
