Dingoes not likely to have killed Canadian found dead on Australia beach: autopsy

By Canadian Press on January 23, 2026.

An autopsy in Australia has determined that a young Canadian who was found dead on a beach this week was likely not killed by a pack of 10 dingoes.

A spokesperson with the Coroners Court of Queensland says the body of Piper James of Campbell River, B.C., showed evidence of drowning and injuries consistent with dingo bites.

The statement says pre-mortem bite marks are not likely to have caused immediate death and says there are “extensive” post-mortem bite marks.

James had ventured out Monday for an early-morning swim on a beach on K’Gari, an island off Australia’s east coast, where her body was found surrounded by a pack of dingoes.

Friends and family of the 19-year-old say she was a “brave little girl” with an infectious laugh who dreamed of becoming a pilot.

There has been a series of dingo attacks on K’Gari, including the fatal mauling of a nine-year-old in 2001 and an incident in 2023 when a jogger was chased into the surf and attacked.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 23, 2026.

The Canadian Press

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