Father of Piper James, Found Dead on K'gari Amidst Dingoes, 'Shattered' by Loss

The father of a young woman found dead on a Queensland beach says he admired his daughter's adventurous spirit and is shattered by the loss. Canadian Piper James was found on K'gari (Fraser Island), surrounded by a pack of dingoes, on Monday morning after telling friends she was going for an early morning swim. The 19-year-old, who had been working on the island for about six weeks, left for a swim about 5am and was found by two men driving on the island's eastern beach about an hour and a half later. Police said they could not confirm whether Ms James drowned or died as a result of being attacked by a dingo until after an autopsy, which is expected to be carried out later today. 'Strength and determination' Ms James' father, Todd James, issued a statement on social media today sharing his loss. "Our hearts are shattered as we share the tragic loss of our beautiful daughter," he said. "We will always remember her infectious laugh and her kind spirit. He said she joked about his support for her travelling to Australia, and that she had told him, "Because I'm 18, and you can't stop me!" "Mostly, I loved hearing about and seeing the bonds and friendships she was developing as she grew into her beautiful self," Mr James said. He said she worked for British Columbia's firefighting service and posted images of her in a uniform. "Piper would work hard so she could play hard," he said. "So many are going to miss you, my precious little baby girl. Maybe gone, but how can we ever forget you?" Ms James's grandmother, Penny Vanalstine Marshall, said in a post on social media that words could not express how deeply she would be cherished. "She had a spirit of unbridled joy and courage," she said. Ms Marshall said Ms James was "a beacon of strength and fearless adventure". "She was also the most caring girl you could meet," she said. "We will miss her terribly!"