BRISBANE — Australian police are investigating the death of a Canadian woman, her body found surrounded on a beach by a pack of dingoes, on an island popular with backpackers and other tourists and off the country’s east coast.
Police in the Australian state of Queensland say they were told about the body of the 19-year-old victim around 6:35 a.m. local time on Monday, when officers were called to a beach on K’gari, also known as Fraser Island.
Police Inspector Paul Algie told reporters the body had been “interfered” with by the pack of about 10 dingoes, but it wasn’t known how the woman died.
A statement from the RCMP confirms the woman was a Canadian citizen, and directs all questions about the investigation to Australian authorities.
A Queensland Police news release says the body was found north of the Maheno shipwreck on the island’s eastern side, and initial information suggests the woman may have gone for a swim around 5 a.m.
It says a crime scene has been established and investigations into the circumstances are ongoing.
The Australian Broadcasting Corp. says the victim had been spotted by two men driving along the beach, while 9 News Australia says the victim had been staying with a fellow Canadian on the island.
Global Affairs Canada did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
K’gari, a World Heritage Area that is described as the world’s largest sand island, is known for its population of wild dingoes, with the Queensland government warning visitors to be “dingo safe.”
There has been a series of attacks on the island, including the fatal mauling of nine-year-old Clinton Gage in 2001.
“Some K’gari dingoes are habituated to people and may approach you,” the government video warns.
It tells people to keep children close and carry a “safety stick,” saying it’s important not to give dingoes food because “they may become aggressive towards people in search of it.”
Australia’s most notorious dingo attack was the death of two-month-old Azaria Chamberlain in central Australia in 1980.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 19, 2026.
The Canadian Press
