Angela James said she last spoke to her 19-year-old daughter, Piper, early on Saturday morning, when she called her parents from Australia to tell them she was going for a swim, and that she was thankful for everything they had done for her.
"And that she loved us. Yeah. But she couldn't talk long, so that was it," said James from Campbell River, B.C.
The next evening, the mother of a friend travelling with Piper James came over to tell her parents that she had been found dead on a beach on K'Gari, an island off Australia's east coast.
Her body was found surrounded by a pack of dingoes, and police in Australia said a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death was expected to begin on Wednesday.
Her parents said on Tuesday they were shattered by the loss of their daughter, with Angela James calling her a "brave little girl" who dreamt of being a pilot like her father, Todd James.
Her mother said in an interview that her daughter had been "having the trip of her life."
"She was very adventurous. She loved motocross. She loved camping, she loved swimming, and she loved surfing. She wanted to learn to surf," in Australia, she said.
Angela James said her daughter worked for the BC Wildfire Service for two years to save up to travel to Australia with her friend in late October.
She said her daughter had gone on a tour of K'Gari and "fell in love" with the World Heritage site that is described as the world's largest sand island. She then took an opportunity to work on the island, and save up for more travel.
"The mother of the friend that Piper was travelling with had heard (what happened) from her daughter, and she didn't want us to find out through the RCMP, so she came over and she told us," said James, sobbing.
She said the family had been told by Australian authorities that the autopsy would take seven to 10 days to determine the cause of death.
"She was just so special. She was just so precious. She was so empathetic. Always worried about other people," said James, adding that her daughter loved animals.
Todd James honoured his daughter in a social media post, sharing dozens of photos that include pictures showing her riding motorcycles, fighting fires, riding in a helicopter, and carrying a backpack with the friend with whom she travelled to Australia.
"We will always remember her infectious laugh and her kind spirit. I admired her strength and determination to go after her dreams," he said.
He said he loved hearing about her travels, "and seeing the bonds and friendships she was developing as she grew into her beautiful self."
Penny Vanalstine said in a social media post that Piper James, her granddaughter, had "a spirit of unbridled joy and courage," and was "kind to everyone she met."
Police in the Australian state of Queensland have declined to identify the Canadian victim but say the body found K'gari, also known as Fraser Island, and had been "interfered with" by a pack of about 10 dingoes.
Police Insp. Paul Algie said the body was found north of the Maheno shipwreck, a landmark on the island's eastern side, and initial information suggested the victim may have gone for an early-morning swim.
Queensland's environment department announced Tuesday that it had shut a camping zone near where the body was found until Feb. 28, due to the "heightened risk of a habituated dingo pack."
Algie said the autopsy will confirm how she died and whether the dingoes played a role.
“We simply can’t confirm whether this young lady drowned or died as a result of being attacked by dingoes,” Algie said.
Two men were driving an SUV along the beach when they saw around 10 dingoes near the body, Algie said.
“It was obviously a very traumatic and horrific scene for them to uncover,” Algie told reporters.
Rob Schweitzer, assistant deputy minister for the BC Wildfire Service, said in a statement that the service was saddened to learn about the death of a team member.
"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,” said Schweitzer.
Brianna Falk was in disbelief when she learned the victim was the girl she sat beside during a high school English class just three years ago.
"My heart dropped," Falk said Tuesday in an interview from Campbell River.
"You never think that it is going to be somebody that you know, let alone one of your closest friends."
Falk said she spoke with a mutual friend who learned of James's death through her family. Her first reaction — anger.
"She was a good person. She never did wrong by anybody," Falk said. "She was just a good friend."
The RCMP have confirmed the woman was a Canadian citizen and directed all questions to Australian authorities. Global Affairs Canada said officials are providing consular assistance to the family.
K'gari is known for its population of wild dingoes. The Queensland government warns visitors to be "dingo safe." Ranger patrols have increased since the attack.
There has been a series of dingo attacks on the island, including the fatal mauling of a nine-year-old in 2001 and an incident in 2023 when a jogger on the beach was chased into the surf and attacked.
Australia's most notorious dingo attack was the death of two-month-old Azaria Chamberlain in central Australia in 1980.
The incident inspired the 1988 film "A Cry in the Dark," starring Meryl Streep as the infant's mother who was wrongfully convicted of murder before being exonerated thanks to the discovery of Azaria's jacket near a dingo's lair in 1986.
Falk said she and Piper James bonded through a high school English class three years ago. James, she said, was someone who loved life, enjoyed being in nature and was always down to talk.
"She was very real," she said. "There was never any confusion as to whether she liked you or not. She would definitely tell you to your face."
Among her many hobbies, Falk said James was into swimming, skiing and snowboarding — something they planned on doing at nearby Mount Washington someday.
She said James and her friend were "having a blast" in Australia. "They mentioned that they didn't really have a plan, and it was very nice and free-spirited," Falk said.
One memory that sticks out for Falk is when they were nearing high school graduation. During a "grad skip day" where the seniors ditched class for the beach, she watched a socially anxious James come out of her shell.
"I just remember her getting there and just being so uncomfortable and one by one, I remember almost every single one of those popular people coming up to her, saying how much they admired her," she said.
"When we went home that night, she was like, 'Wow, you know what? They're a lot nicer than I thought they were.'"
Falk said she hasn't stopped crying since learning of James's death, and is eager to connect with those who knew her to reminisce.
"I really did love Piper and I'm gonna miss her a lot," she said.
Todd James said his daughter "would work hard so she could play hard."
"So many are going to miss you, my precious little baby girl. Maybe gone, but how can we ever forget you?"
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - Angela James
