Coroner rules Canadian backpacker Piper James’ K’gari death was by ‘drowning due to dingo attack’

Canadian backpacker Piper James died from drowning due to a dingo attack on Queensland’s K’gari, the state’s coroner has found.

The 19-year-old’s body was found near Orchid Beach, north of Maheno Wreck, with significant bite injuries and surrounded by a pack of dingoes on the morning of January 19.

James had told friends she was going for an early morning swim, but never returned.
Piper James, 19, was found dead on K’gari, formerly known as Fraser Island, in January morning surrounded by a pack of about 10 dingoes. (Supplied)

A spokesperson for the Coroner’s Court this morning confirmed Piper’s cause of death has been ruled as “drowning in the setting of multiple injuries, due to, or as a consequence of a dingo attack”.

“The investigation into Piper’s death is ongoing, and no further information can be provided at this time.”

After the attack, local mayor George Seymour said there has been an “escalation of aggressive dingo activity” in recent years and a fatality was “inevitable” given the number of bites and attacks.

“People go there partly because of the dingoes, because of the whole experience and our community is very attached to the island and its wilderness,” he said.

“Ultimately, we have to respect that this is a wilderness.”

The last fatal dingo attack on the island was the mauling of a nine-year-old boy in 2001.

Locals and visitors to K’gari are advised not to interact with dingoes.
Visitors to the island are told not to interact with dingoes for their own safety. (Getty)

Indigenous elders say they’ve warned the government that wongaris, as they are known to the Aboriginal community, are becoming more dangerous as tourism on the island increases.

K’gari has a permanent population of about 150 people, and about 400,000 tourists visit every year.

There is no cap on visitor numbers.

Piper’s mother, Angela James, told 9News her daughter had been “having the time of her life” on the World Heritage-listed island.

“She loved it there. She just loved it. She thought it was beautiful,” Angela said.

“She quite often would set her alarm to get up, catch the sunrise, which is what she did that day.

“I think that’s what she probably got up to do. But she never got the opportunity to.

Piper James and her dad, Todd James. (Facebook)

“It’s just a tragic accident, it’s tragic. I don’t know, maybe something needs to be done to keep people a little safer, that’s all.”

Her father, Todd James, said he admired her strength and determination and “will always remember her infectious laugh and her kind spirit”.