Courtesy Facebook/Todd James
The family of a young Canadian backpacker who was found dead on an Australian beach this week are remembering her for “her infectious laugh and her kind spirit” – and her sense of adventure.
Her father said in a Facebook post that he had supported his daughter taking the trip to Australia, knowing he had little choice after she told him: “I’m 18, and you can’t stop me!”
The body of Piper James, 19, was found surrounded by a pack of dingoes on the beach on K’Gari, an island off Australia’s eastern coast on Monday.
Authorities are trying to determine whether James died from drowning after going for an early morning swim, from being attacked by the animals, or some other cause.
Her mother told Global News that her daughter had always dreamed of travelling and had saved money for this trip after her high school graduation.
Both parents worried about her travelling at her age, but James was committed.
“We warned her about everything,” said Angela James. “We had a rule that she wasn’t supposed to go swimming alone. She wasn’t supposed to go out alone ever. And she broke those rules and it cost her her life.”
Establishing the cause of death may take some time, a spokesperson for the Coroners Court of Queensland said in a statement to media, adding that the family is being kept up to date on the investigation.
The BBC has contacted the coroner for comment.
Piper James had been working at a backpacker’s hostel for the past six weeks and had told friends she was going for an early morning swim on Monday.
Her body was found around 0630 local time by two men who were driving along the beach and spotted a pack of about 10 dingoes around an object. When they approached they realised it was a body.
She was found near the Maheno shipwreck, which washed ashore in 1935 – its skeletal remains have become a popular tourist destination.
The area is also known for its population of dingoes, a wild species of dog protected in Queensland national parks as a native species.
About 200 dingoes live on World Heritage-listed K’Gari, according to the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.
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