“A Dingo ate my
Baby Tourist?”
Police in Queensland, Australia, are investigating the death of a 19-year-old Canadian woman after her body was found on a beach Monday morning surrounded by dingoes.
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Tragic Canadian woman possibly killed by dingoes on Australian beach ID'd as Piper James
The men who found Piper James saw between 10 and 12 dingoes surrounding her body
Author of the article:Brad Hunter
Published Jan 20, 2026 • Last updated 1 day ago • 3 minute read
Tragic Piper James James, 19, of Campbell River, BC is the suspected victim of a dingo attack in Australia. SUPPLIED
Piper James, 19, of Campbell River, B.C. is the suspected victim of a dingo attack in Australia. Aussie media
The tragic young Canadian backpacker suspected of having been attacked and killed by dingoes on an Australian beach has been identified.
According to Australian media, the victim is Piper James, 19, of Campbell River, B.C.
James had gone for an early morning swim on Monday while camping on K’gari, formerly Fraser Island, off the coast of Queensland in the country’s northeast corner that is home to the Great Barrier Reef.
James was staying near the Maheno Shipwreck at Seventy Five Mile Beach when she went for the swim around 5 a.m. Local media report that less than an hour later, two men driving along the beach found her body on the shoreline.
In this aerial image made from video, a dingo walks on beach on K'gari, formerly known as Fraser Island, Australia, Monday, July 17, 2023.
In this aerial image made from video, a dingo walks on beach on K’gari, formerly known as Fraser Island, Australia, Monday, July 17, 2023. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
They told investigators that they saw between 10 and 12 dingoes surrounding James’ body. She was found with what seemed to be dingo bites and multiple other injuries. Police suggested some of the wounds were “defensive.”
Father says family ‘shattered’
James’ father Todd said the family is “shattered” by her loss.
“We will always remember her infectious laugh and her kind spirit. I admired her strength and determination to go after her dreams,” he said on social media.
He said she had an infectious laugh and kind spirit and was proud of her work for the B.C. Wildfire Service, sharing photos of her riding motorcycles, fighting a fire, in a helicopter and carrying a backpack with a friend who media reports say was with her in Australia.
“She was glad I was on board for her trip to Australia,” Todd wrote on Tuesday, joking that she said he couldn’t stop her anyway because she had turned 18.
“Mostly, I loved hearing about and seeing the bonds and friendships she was developing as she grew into her beautiful self.”
What her friend says
Close friend Brianna Falk says she was working her day job in Campbell River when she began seeing early news reports and was stricken with fear.
Her worst fears were confirmed after talking to a pal who learned of the young Canadian’s death through family.
Falk says the pair met through their high school English class in Campbell River three years ago and remembers her as someone who loved life, being in nature and was always down to talk.
“We had so many plans and she was so young,” Falk told The Canadian Press. “You never think that it is going to be somebody that you know, let alone one of your closest friends.”
Dingoes or drowning?
While investigators suspect the teen was killed by dingoes, that has yet to be proven. She may have drowned and the wild dogs got at her post-mortem.
“At this stage it’s too early to speculate on cause of death, we simply can’t confirm whether this young lady drowned or died as a result of being attacked by dingoes,” Wide Bay District Insp. Paul Algie said. “We may not know until a post-mortem as to the actual cause of death.”
A school of fish swim over a coral head along the Great Barrier Reef in August. MUST CREDIT: Washington Post photo by Michael Robinson Chavez
A school of fish swim over a coral head along the Great Barrier Reef in August. Washington Post photo by Michael Robinson Chavez Photo by Michael Robinson Chavez /The Washington Post
A post-mortem examination is expected to be completed on Wednesday.
The death has stunned locals.
“It was obviously a very traumatic and horrific scene for them to uncover,” Algie said of the men who were confronted with a horrifying scene.
‘Very traumatized’ travelling companion
Local media reported that James had been in Australia since November and had been travelling with a fellow Canadian. The pair visited Bondi Beach, surfed at Manly, partied in Cairns and toured the Whitsundays before heading to K’gari.
James had been on the island for the past six weeks and was working at a hostel.
“(Her friend) is very traumatized; she’s been supported by her friends at the backpackers where they were working,” Argie said.
Canadian authorities confirmed they are assisting James’ family.
“We extend our condolences to the family and loved ones,” a Global Affairs Canada spokesman said. “Canadian officials are providing consular assistance to the family.”
Island has had attacks before
Ranger patrols on K’gari, a UNESCO World Heritage site described as the world’s largest sand island and known for its population of wild dingoes, have increased since James’ death.
There has been a series of dingo attacks on the island, including the fatal mauling of a nine-year-old in 2001 and an incident in 2023 when a jogger on the beach was chased into the surf and attacked.
The Queensland government warns visitors to be “dingo safe.”
— With files from The Canadian Press
bhunter@postmedia.com
X: @HunterTOSun
wikipedia.org
THE body of a tragic teen found dead on a backpacker beach surrounded by dingoes has been identified. Canadian traveller Piper James was mauled to death while camping on K’gari, formerly Fraser Isl…
the-sun.com
The tragic young Canadian backpacker suspected of having been killed by dingoes on an Australian beach has been identified. Learn more.
torontosun.com
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