Identity Revealed of 19-Year-Old Canadian Woman Found Dead on Tourist Beach Surrounded by Wild Dogs

A 19-year-old woman found dead on an Australian beach while surrounded by a pack of dingoes has been identified as Canadian tourist Piper James.

Police said the woman was discovered near the beach north of the Maheno Wreck on K’gari, a Queensland island, at around 6:30 a.m. local time on Monday, Jan. 19. Wide Bay District Inspector Paul Algie previously shared details during a press conference.

According to Algie, two men driving south near Orchid Beach noticed “a large pack of dingos” gathered near what they initially thought was an object — and then realized it was a body. Police were called to the scene immediately.

News.com.au and 9News Australia reported that James had been vacationing with friends before she was found unresponsive near the Maheno Wreck, part of Seventy Five Mile Beach. Per 9News Australia, she had been living on K’gari for about six weeks with her friend Taylor Strecker and working at a backpackers’ hostel. She reportedly went for a swim at around 5 a.m., and her body was found roughly an hour later.

Algie said the body showed injuries “consistent with having been touched and interfered with by the dingoes.” Police added that the injuries included “defensive wounds,” according to News.com.au.

“We simply can’t confirm whether this young lady drowned or died as a result of being attacked by dingoes,” Algie said at the press conference.

Queensland Police are investigating the incident. A post-mortem examination is scheduled to determine the cause of death in mainland Queensland, according to 9News Australia.

“At the moment it’s a police matter and our response to any risk mitigation is increased patrols in the area,” Linda Behrendorff, a senior ranger with the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and Partnerships, told 9 News Australia.

If the death is ultimately ruled a result of a dingo attack, 9News Australia reported it would be the first fatality from a dingo attack in Australia in 25 years. Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour told the outlet that there has been “an escalating number of attacks” in the past five years, adding that he was “not surprised” by the incident.

Police have not yet announced an official cause of death.