Father of B.C. woman found dead in Australia says 'she would have fought'

The canadian river tourer who was found deadened on a beach in commonwealth of australia mon 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.

"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."

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 B.C. Wildfire Service, where he said her supervisor was surprised by her strength, given that she was so young and only 5-5.

"She's just a little powerhouse and that's why we know she would have fought so hard."

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."

A post-mortem is scheduled for Wednesday, at which point officials hope to have more answers, Queensland police have said.

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."

James said Piper saved the earnings from B.C. Wildfire Service to pay for her trip to Australia.

"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 their 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, all the milestones that aren't going to happen now.

"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.

WATCH | More questions than answers, says Australian journalist:

‘More questions than answers’ says Australian journalist on Canadian’s death | Hanomansing Tonight

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.

"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. 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."

Senior Writer & Editor

---

---