Piper James, centre, with mother Angela, left, and father Todd, right, after Piper's graduation ceremony in this undated handout photo.Angela James/via The Canadian Press
An autopsy suggests dingo bites on the body of a young Canadian backpacker found dead on a beach in Australia earlier this week were likely not her immediate cause of death.
But the preliminary assessment of the body of 19-year-old Piper James, found on the island of K’gari, says there were “pre-mortem” bites in addition to physical evidence consistent with drowning.
A spokesperson with the Coroners Court of Queensland says there were also “extensive” post-mortem bite marks.
In 2023, a pack of dingoes attacked a woman by chasing her into the surf on K’gari.
Ms. James, from Campbell River, B.C., had ventured out Monday for an early-morning swim on a beach on K’gari, off Australia’s east coast, where her body was found surrounded by a pack of dingoes.
The spokesperson for the coroners court says there was no evidence that any other person was involved in Ms. James’s death.
Ms. James had been travelling with a friend, also from Campbell River, when she died.
Family mourns after B.C. teen Piper James found dead in Australia circled by dingoes
Friends and family of Ms. James say she was a “brave little girl” with an infectious laugh who dreamed of becoming a pilot.
Angela James, Ms. James’s mother, said her daughter was adventurous and loved motocross, camping and swimming.
Global Affairs Canada has said officials are providing consular assistance to the family.
K’gari is known for its population of dingoes, a type of wild dog. The Queensland government warns visitors to be “dingo safe.” Ranger patrols have increased since the attack.
There has been a series of dingo attacks on K’gari, also known as Fraser Island. In addition to the 2023 incident, they include the fatal mauling of a nine-year-old in 2001.
Australia’s most notorious dingo attack was the death of two-month-old Azaria Chamberlain in central Australia in 1980, which inspired the 1988 film A Cry in the Dark featuring Meryl Streep as the infant’s mother who was wrongfully convicted of murder.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to correct the spelling of K'gari.