A friend of a Canadian woman whose body was found on an Australian beach surrounded by dingoes says her death comes as a shock.
Police in the Australian state of Queensland say a 19-year-old’s body was found on a beach on K’gari, also known as Fraser Island, and had been interfered with by a pack of about 10 dingoes.
Multiple media reports in Australia are identifying the woman as Piper James, but police have said they will not confirm her identity.
Close friend Brianna Falk says she was working her day job at a car dealership when she began seeing early news reports and feared the worst.
She says her fears were confirmed when she spoke with a friend who learned of James’s death through her family.
Falk says the pair met through their high school English class in Campbell River, B.C., three years ago and remembers her as someone who loved life, being in nature and was always down to talk.
“We had so many plans and she was so young,” Falk said Tuesday in an interview with The Canadian Press.
“You never think that it is going to be somebody that you know, let alone one of your closest friends.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 20, 2026.
Aaron Sousa, The Canadian Press
