Father of young B.C. woman found dead in Australia says 'she would have fought'
Body of woman found surrounded by dingoes on a beach on K'gari identified as Piper James, 19
The Canadian tourist who was found dead on a beach in Australia on Monday morning is being remembered as a strong and adventurous young woman who planned to earn her pilot's licence once she returned from her trip.
"The saddest part is she was so looking forward to coming back," Todd James told CBC News about his daughter, Piper James, of Campbell River, B.C.
"She wanted to start her pilot licence, and I was looking forward to sharing that because I'm a pilot, and that was our next step together."
Piper, 19, was found dead on a beach on K'gari, formerly called Fraser Island, at 6:35 a.m. local time on Monday, according to a news release. She had set an alarm for 5 a.m. to see the sunrise and go for a swim, her father told CBC News.
In a news conference Monday, Queensland police Insp. Paul Algie of Wide Bay Burnett District said two men found her body on the beach surrounded by "approximately 10 dingoes" and called the police. She was confirmed dead shortly after police arrived.
He added that police were unable to confirm whether Piper died of drowning or from being attacked by the dingoes. But he also said she had markings on her body "consistent with being touched and interfered with by the dingoes."
James said the police told him and his wife, Angela, that Piper's death was likely caused one of three ways: she drowned swimming and dingoes attacked her remains; the dingoes chased her into the water, where she drowned; or she was attacked and killed by dingoes on the beach.
"She was so strong," James said, recalling the years his daughter worked at the B.C. Wildfire Service, where he said her supervisor was surprised by her strength, given that she was so young and only five feet, five inches tall.
"She's just a little powerhouse and that's why we know she would have fought so hard."
In a Facebook post published on Wednesday, Marjorie Stricker said Piper had been backpacking the coast of Australia with her daughter, Taylor. Stricker said the two friends had been excited to celebrated their 19th birthdays together.
"They knew what a privilege it was to be there, and they embraced every moment … growing, learning, and fully living the experience side by side," the post says.
"Though our hearts are broken, we are trying to find comfort in knowing her spirit is free, forever connected to the ocean of which she loved."
'No, mate'
Dingoes are protected on K'gari as a native species, according to the Queensland government parks and forests website. In December, the site posted an alert warning of "heightened dingo activity" along K'gari Eastern Beach. The alert applies until the end of January.
On Tuesday, the site announced it was closing two campsites in the area until Feb. 28 due to "heightened risk of a habituated dingo pack."
K'gari is located around 250 kilometres north of Brisbane on Australia's east coast.
On Wednesday a spokesperson for the Coroners Court of Queensland confirmed an autopsy has been performed, but said more scientific testing will be needed.
"These further results and establishing the cause of death may take some time," the spokesperson said in an email to CBC News.
James said his first instinct was to fly straight to Australia "and bring my baby girl back." But after speaking with police, he and his family have realized there's nothing they can do right now. So they're at home in Campbell River, waiting.
He said he asked a police officer whether they would be able to have an open casket when Piper's body arrives back home.
"He said, 'Mate ... no, mate, it's not going to happen,'" James recalled.
"So it's not like I've got my little girl to go and hold. So I'm holding off going there."
'Proud' member of B.C. Wildfire Service
James said Piper saved the earnings from her B.C. Wildfire Service work to pay for her trip to Australia.
“The B.C. Wildfire Service is saddened to learn about the death of one of our team members," Rob Schweitzer, the service's assistant deputy minister, told CBC News in a written statement.
"Our priority is the well-being of a grieving family and colleagues who are deeply affected, and we continue to ensure they have the support and resources they need."
After passing its bootcamp when she was 18, Piper worked for the B.C. Wildfire Service all of last summer, he said.
James said the people his daughter worked with had a huge influence on her.
"She was so proud to be there, and I was so proud of her for going there."
James said now he's left thinking about all that Piper won't get to do, and all the milestones that aren't going to happen.
"The weddings, the kids — those are what I'm going to miss."
Global Affairs Canada confirmed Monday it was aware of the death of a Canadian citizen in Australia, and said Canadian officials are providing consular assistance to the family.
'My heart just kind of dropped'
Piper's grandmother Penny Vanalstine Marshall posted a tribute on Facebook on Tuesday, calling her "the most happy, spirited girl."
"Words cannot express how deeply she will be cherished forever! She had a spirit of unbridled joy and courage," Marshall wrote. "She was a beacon of strength and fearless adventure."
Marshall asked people to keep the whole family in their prayers.
"She was gorgeous. I definitely looked up to her," said Brianna Falk, 19, a close high school friend.
Falk told CBC News she started messaging Piper and a mutual friend she was travelling with once she heard that a Canadian had been killed in K'gari. But neither was responding. Then, mutual friends started calling Falk to see what she knew.
"My heart kind of dropped," Falk said. "I just keep watching the news over and over again."
Falk remembers her friend as a "character," someone she spent summers with at the lake, and an avid motocross rider who had recently bought a new bike to fix up with her dad.
The Campbell River Motocross Association (CRMX) said it was devastated to hear of Piper's death, describing her as a beloved former member.
"Piper was a passionate and determined rider who brought heart, grit, and quiet strength to the Campbell River motocross community," the CRMX said in a written statement to CBC News,
"Her dedication to the sport was evident every time she lined up at the gate — she rode with courage, commitment, and a genuine love for motocross that inspired those around her."
She graduated from Carihi Secondary School in 2024.
"She was never afraid to tell people what she thought," Falk said.
She added that she wanted people to remember Piper for the person she was, and not just a statistic in a tragedy.
"Piper was worth more than just five minutes of talking about something awful that happened."
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