‘Our hearts are shattered’: Father of Canadian woman found dead near wild dogs on Australian beach

The father of a teenage backpacker found dead on K’gari (Fraser Island) has shared a heartbreaking tribute, saying his family’s “hearts are shattered” by the loss of his “precious little baby girl.”19-year-old Canadian traveller Piper James was holidaying on the popular Queensland destination with friends when her body was discovered at Seventy Five Mile Beach shortly after 5am on Monday. Police are investigating whether she drowned or was fatally attacked by dingoes after confirming she had suffered what they described as “defensive wounds.”In an emotional Facebook post shared on Wednesday, Piper’s father, Todd James, said her death was “tragic” and paid tribute to her warmth and determination.“Our hearts are shattered as we share the tragic loss of our beautiful daughter, Piper,” he wrote. “We will always remember her infectious laugh and her kind spirit.”He said he admired Piper’s drive to chase her dreams and recalled supporting her decision to travel to Australia, joking that she reminded him, “Because I’m 18, and you can’t stop me!”James said he treasured seeing the friendships his daughter had formed during her travels and watching her grow into herself. He also shared his pride in her work with British Columbia Wildlife Services in Canada, posting a photo of Piper wearing firefighter gear while standing on scorched land.“Piper worked hard so she could play hard,” he wrote. “So many are going to miss you, my precious little baby girl. Maybe gone, but how could we ever forget you?”“The pain … RIP my baby.”Wide Bay District Inspector Paul Algie confirmed Piper had been living and working on K’gari for about six weeks, staying with a friend and employed at a backpackers’ hostel. Police believe she went for an early-morning swim around 5am and was found nearly 90 minutes later.Inspector Algie said the body showed injuries “consistent with having been touched and interfered with by dingoes,” but stressed the cause of death has not yet been determined.“We simply can’t confirm whether this young lady drowned or died as a result of being attacked by dingoes,” he said.A post-mortem examination will be conducted in mainland Queensland to establish the cause of death, with wildlife and environmental authorities assisting the investigation.Authorities have increased patrols on the island and renewed warnings urging visitors to keep their distance from dingoes, which are protected but remain wild animals.If confirmed as a dingo-related fatality, it would be the first in Australia in more than 25 years, according to local media. Earlier this year, a 23-year-old woman narrowly survived a dingo attack on the island after being chased into the ocean, before a tourist intervened and fought the animals off.