Coroner says B.C. teen drowned after dingo attack on Australian island

An Australian coroner says a 19-year-old woman from British Columbia drowned after being attacked by a pack of dingoes during an early morning walk on an island off Queensland.

Piper James was on a backpacking trip and had been working on K'Gari, formerly known as Fraser Island, when she died on Jan. 19.

According to the Coroners Court of Queensland, a forensic pathologist with Queensland Health determined James drowned after sustaining multiple injuries during the attack. A spokesperson for the coroner said the injuries occurred “due to or as a consequence of” the dingo attack.

Authorities said James’s body was found surrounded by about 10 dingoes. Eight of the animals have since been euthanized.

The coroner reported that James had numerous pre-mortem bite marks, indicating she was attacked before death and was forced into the water by the animals.

The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident remains under the jurisdiction of the Coroners Court of Queensland.