A coroner in Australia has determined that a 19-year-old British Columbia woman drowned when she was attacked by a pack of dingoes on an early morning walk.
Piper James was on a backpacking trip and had been working on the island of K’Gari when she died on Jan. 19.
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The Coroners Court of Queensland confirmed the teen’s cause of death had been determined by Queensland Health’s forensic pathologist.
A spokesperson for the coroner confirmed she drowned with multiple injuries due to or as a consequence of the dingo attack.
James’s body was discovered surrounded by a group of about 10 dingoes, eight of which have since been euthanized.
The coroner said her body had numerous “pre-mortem” bite marks, indicating she had been forced into the water by the pack. — The Australian Associated Press in Brisbane
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 5, 2026.