The parents of a Canadian woman found dead on a remote Australian island say they are struggling to make sense of the damage as authorities investigate whether she drowned or was attacked by a dingo.
19-year-old Piper James was found early Monday morning near the Maheno boat dock on the beach at Kegari, a sand island in Queensland’s World Heritage Area.
His body was found surrounded by dingo bags and the circumstances of his death are being investigated, police said.
A post-mortem examination began this week, with the Queensland coroner working to determine whether the teenager died after entering the sea, by wild animals or by other causes.
Officials said further forensic testing would be needed before drawing conclusions.
For her family, the wait is painful. “Our hearts are broken as we share the tragic loss of our beautiful daughter Piper,” Todd James said on social media.
“We will always miss her infectious laugh and her kind spirit. I admired her strength and determination to pursue her dreams.”
He said his daughter was thrilled with the trip to Australia and valued the friendships she made along the way.
The teenager had been living and working in Kegari, formerly known as Fraser Island, for six weeks, working as a housekeeper at a backpacker campsite with a close friend from her hometown in British Columbia.
Queensland police said the friend had been left “extremely traumatised” by the incident.
According to investigators, Piper was last seen alive around 5 a.m. Monday when she told people at the hostel that she planned to go to the beach. Her body was found by two men driving along the eastern shore of the island.
Her mother, Angela James, told Canadian media that she had spoken to her daughter before she left that morning.
“She was very special. She was very precious. She was very empathetic. Always concerned about other people,” she said. Canadian Press.
Her daughter was spending her time in Australia and fell in love with Kegari, she said.
“She was very adventurous. She loved motocross. She loved camping, she loved swimming and she loved surfing. She wanted to learn to surf,” she added.
speaking with Australian Broadcasting CorporationThe mother said: “When I didn’t hear from him, I didn’t think anything of it. I knew he didn’t have a phone. That morning he borrowed his girlfriend’s phone to go to the beach and they didn’t find his girlfriend’s phone.”
He added: “Once I heard that Piper wasn’t OK, I obviously don’t remember much after that. I just remember falling to the floor and screaming and being shocked.”
Before traveling abroad, the teenager spent two summers working with British Columbia’s wildfire services, something her father said made her very proud.
Friends and family have been sharing images of him rafting, snowboarding, dirt biking and firefighting, which his parents describe as a fearless approach to life.
His grandmother, Penny Vanalstyne Marshall, also paid tribute. Her granddaughter, she said, had “a sense of unbridled joy and courage”.
Piper James was found dead surrounded by dingoes in Kegari, Australia (Todd James/Facebook)
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said at a press conference on Wednesday: “We have to accept that a young woman lost her life in the prime of her life. At nineteen years old, and on a lifelong journey to do what she loves – and not go home to her family, it’s really hard”.
He confirmed that the post-mortem is the next important step.
A Queensland Coroner’s Court spokesman said an investigation was underway and the teenager’s family had been informed.
“After the autopsy, further scientific tests will be required,” the spokesman said.
“These additional results and the cause of death may take some time to establish.”
The island has about 150 permanent residents but attracts about 400,000 tourists a year.
