Coroner says B.C. teen was forced into water by dingoes in Australia

BRISBANE — A young woman from British Columbia drowned when she was attacked by a pack of dingoes at a famed tourist destination in Australia, a coroner has determined.

Piper James, 19, was on a backpacking trip and was working on the island of K’Gari when she died on Jan. 19 during an early morning walk.

The Coroners Court of Queensland confirmed her cause of death had been determined by Queensland Health’s forensic pathologist.

“Piper died as a result of drowning in the setting of multiple injuries, due to, or as a consequence of a dingo attack,” a spokesperson said.

“The investigation into Piper’s death is ongoing, and no further information can be provided at this time.”

James’s body was discovered surrounded by a group of about 10 dingoes, eight of which have since been euthanized.

Her body had numerous “pre-mortem” bite marks, indicating she had been forced into the water by a pack attack.

Her father, Todd James, had previously told the Australian Associated Press that he believed Piper erred by not carrying a stick with her.

“Maybe some dangerous dingoes saw her as something all by itself, as prey that’s harmed, splashing around, and maybe that got their attention to come out, and then Piper got pushed out into the ocean,” James said.

“I’ve heard that that’s kind of how they’ll do (it), they’ll corral their prey so they can’t come out, and they’ll push them out into the water, and unfortunately, wait for them to drown and bring them in.”

He said he did not believe his daughter would have wanted any dingoes to be harmed in response to her death.

There are an estimated 200 dingoes on K’Gari, formerly known as Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world.

They are known as wongari to the Butchulla people, for whom they are culturally significant.

The culling of eight dingoes after Piper James’s death was the subject of fierce debate about how to better balance the safety of visitors with the conservation of the endangered population.

Concerns were raised that killing about five per cent of the island’s dingoes would impact the remaining population’s genetic diversity and ongoing viability.

There has also been a call for a cap on visitor numbers to the island, which the state government has repeatedly rejected.

Dingoes are a protected species by law, with steep fines for those who disturb or harm the animals on K’Gari.

It is recommended that visitors always carry a safety stick while walking outside of fenced areas.

A service for James was held in her hometown of Campbell River, B.C., last weekend, where she was remembered as curious and bold.

Taylor Stricker, who travelled with her friend to Australia, told the service that James lived with intensity and heart.

“She taught me how to be brave and to lean into life instead of just standing on the edges of it,” Stricker said.

— The Australian Associated Press in Brisbane

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 5, 2026.

Andrew Stafford, The Canadian Press