US EditionCanadian found circled by dingoes on Australia beach drowned: Autopsy
Preliminary autopsy shows water in Piper James's lungs and injuries from dingoes; further tests may take weeks to determine how drowning and animal contact are linked.
- On Monday, Piper James, a 19-year-old Canadian backpacker from Campbell River, B.C., was found surrounded by dingoes on K'gari near the S.S. Maheno on 75 Mile Beach.
- Preliminary medical results indicated fluid on Piper James's lungs consistent with drowning, but the Coroners Court of Queensland said it is unclear if the fluid entered before or after wounds.
- Officials said the pattern of bites indicates extensive post-mortem and pre-mortem dingo marks unlikely to have caused immediate death, while Queensland Police proposed three scenarios and ruled out other persons.
- The death prompted debate over visitor safety on K'gari, with Hervey Bay mayor George Seymour saying dingo behaviour is changing and the Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation urging visitor caps or seasonal closures.
- Further testing will take up to two months as the Coroner awaits pathology results; Piper's family received preliminary findings and plan to attend an Indigenous smoking ceremony on K'gari.
63 Articles
63 Articles
What are dingoes and are they a threat to humans?
On Jan. 19, 2026, the body of B.C. teen Piper James was found on K’gari, an island off the coast of Queensland. It was discovered in the early hours of the morning, surrounded by a pack of dingoes. An autopsy concluded signs of drowning, as well as extensive dingo bites inflicted after death. “Pre-mortem dingo bite marks are not likely to have caused immediate death,” the coroner told reporters.
A teenager’s death on an untamed island has put the spotlight on its inhabitants
The sun was still low on the horizon when 19-year-old Piper James walked toward the Pacific Ocean for a morning swim on an island whose name in the local language means “paradise.”
The girl from Canada was found on an island surrounded by a pack of wild dogs.
The Canberra Times
The West AustralianAutopsy points to teen, surrounded by dingoes, drowning
A preliminary assessment of the body of a teenager, who was found dead surrounded by wild dingoes, has...
The Epoch Times
nanaimonewsnow.comAutopsy Says Dingoes Likely Didn’t Kill Canadian, but There Were ‘Pre-Mortem’ Bites
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 “exte…
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