Piper James had served as a firefighter and was an avid adventure seeker. Her recent trip to Australia was supposed to be a fun-filled backpacking trip

 

After a 19-year-old Canadian woman was found dead on an Australian beach, encircled by a pack of wild dogs, authorities are sharing new insight into her death.

A preliminary autopsy for Piper James — whose body was discovered on the Queensland island of K’gari on Monday, Jan. 19 — revealed “evidence consistent with drowning and injuries consistent with dingo bites,” a spokesperson for the Coroners Court of Queensland confirms to PEOPLE.

“Pre-mortem dingo bite marks are not likely to have caused immediate death,” the spokesperson says, referencing a species of wild dog native to Australia.

Piper James

Piper James/Instagram

Rather, the spokesperson says, “there are extensive post-mortem dingo bite marks.”

There is no evidence to support that another person was involved in the young woman’s death, the spokesperson adds.

A final pathology report is expected to take several weeks to be completed as authorities work to determine an official cause of death.

This update will bring some answers to James’ family in Canada regarding the strange scene of her death.

James had served as a firefighter in British Columbia and was an avid adventure seeker, her family has said. The trip to Australia was supposed to be a fun-filled backpacking trip.

“We pushed her towards Australia thinking it would be one of the safer places to go,” Angela James, Piper’s mom, previously told the Australian Broadcasting Company.

After traveling along the east coast of the country, Piper returned to K’gari to work for six weeks at an adventure group.

It was during that return stay that the young woman lost her phone, the ABC reported.

Angela told the outlet that she believes that Piper walked down the beach to get better cell service with her friend’s phone the morning of her death.

This dingo (Canis dingo), a type of wild dog stands in the warm, morning light. Considered vulnerable on the conservation status, dingos arrived in Australia from Asia 5000 years ago

A stock image of a dingo.Getty

That Monday, Piper went for a swim around 5 a.m. local time and her body was found about an hour later, 9News in Australia reported.

Her remains were found surrounded by about 10 dingoes on the beach north of Maheno Wreck, Wide Bay District Inspector Paul Algie previously announced at a news conference.

K'gari, formerly known as Fraser Island is 123 kilometres long and is the largest sand island in the world.

The Australian island of K’gari.Getty

“She loved life, she was courageous and strong, and I know she fought to the end,” Piper’s mom told the ABC.

“She’s brave and I love her so much and my life will never be the same. She was my best friend,” Angela continued, according to the outlet. “I just don’t know how I will find happiness again, but I have to for her, one day.”