Police are investigating the death of a 19-year-old Canadian woman in Australia.
At around 6.35 a.m. local time on Monday, Jan. 19, the police were called about a woman who was found “unresponsive” at a beach north of Maheno Wreck on the Queensland island of K’gari, the Queensland Police said in a news release. The woman was pronounced dead a short time later.
It is believed that the woman went for a swim at around 5 a.m., the police said. Two men driving near Orchid Beach then saw around 10 dingoes [Australia’s native wild dogs] surrounding an “object” shortly before 6:30 a.m., 9News Australia reported.
“Upon closer inspection, they saw that it was, in fact, a female person at the scene,” said Wide Bay District Inspector Paul Algie, per the outlet. “It was obviously a very dramatic and horrific scene for them to uncover.”
Algie confirmed that the woman had markings on her body “consistent with having been touched and interfered with by the dingoes,” though he could not confirm the exact cause of death, per 9News Australia.
“We simply can’t confirm whether this young lady drowned or died as a result of being attacked by dingoes,” he said.
The woman had been living on the island with a friend for six weeks and worked at a backpackers’ hostel, according to News.com.au. She has not been identified at this time.
A post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death has been scheduled in mainland Queensland, per 9News Australia. “We’ll obviously throw every resource we can at it to get some resolution for her family,” said Algie.
The police are being assisted by the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) in the investigation, per News.com.au.
“K’gari is a wilderness area … and while [dingoes] are very culturally and significant to the local First Nations people and to the people that live on the island, they are still wild animals and need to be treated as such,” said Algie, per 9 News Australia.
“I implore all people that visit K’gari, which is a beautiful place, that you do not go near dingoes, that you do not feed dingoes and that you just leave them to live their life and you need to move around them accordingly,” he added.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
PEOPLE has reached out to the Queensland Police and the DETSI for comment but did not immediately receive responses.
News
THE PLEA THAT SHIFTED EVERYTHING: Horner admits guilt, but not for the reasons expected — as attention turns to a possible hidden connection behind the scenes… 👇👇
There is no credible, verified evidence that Tanner Horner pleaded guilty in order to cover up for another “real suspect” connected to the family of Athena Strand. What Is Actually Supported Public reporting and court records in the case indicate: Horner was identified and charged based on investigative evidence Proceedings focused on his actions and […]
Tanner Horner unexpectedly pleaded guilty in court, not to avoid the death penalty, but to deliberately cover up for a real suspect behind the scenes, someone who had close ties to Athena’s parents?…
There is no credible, verified evidence that Tanner Horner pleaded guilty in order to cover up for another “real suspect” connected to the family of Athena Strand. What Is Actually Supported Public reporting and court records in the case indicate: Horner was identified and charged based on investigative evidence Proceedings focused on his actions and […]
A DIFFERENT STORY EMERGES: In court, claims of provocation and new footage are now challenging the original understanding of Jaden Pierre’s shooting…
New claims are circulating about the case involving Jaden Pierre, suggesting that the shooting may not have been premeditated and that newly surfaced CCTV footage “reveals everything.” However, these claims should be approached with caution. What Has Not Been Officially Confirmed At this stage: Authorities have not publicly concluded that the act was unplanned There […]
THE TIMELINE IS CHANGING: Testimony suggests Jaden Pierre’s shooting may not have been planned — as CCTV begins to reshape the narrative… 👇👇
New claims are circulating about the case involving Jaden Pierre, suggesting that the shooting may not have been premeditated and that newly surfaced CCTV footage “reveals everything.” However, these claims should be approached with caution. What Has Not Been Officially Confirmed At this stage: Authorities have not publicly concluded that the act was unplanned There […]
A CALM DRIVE… AND ONE UNSETTLING SECOND: As the Athena Strand case concludes, the full footage reveals a moment at the 10-second mark that’s now at the center of it all… 👇👇
A final decision has been announced in the case involving Athena Strand, bringing a major legal chapter to a close—but not the public scrutiny surrounding the evidence. At the center of attention is surveillance footage involving Tanner Horner, which prosecutors used to reconstruct key moments. The Footage That Shaped the Case According to courtroom summaries, […]
VERDICT DAY: The Athena Strand case reaches its final decision — full CCTV shows Horner driving calmly, but it’s a brief moment at the 10-second mark that’s now haunting everyone… 👇👇
A final decision has been announced in the case involving Athena Strand, bringing a major legal chapter to a close—but not the public scrutiny surrounding the evidence. At the center of attention is surveillance footage involving Tanner Horner, which prosecutors used to reconstruct key moments. The Footage That Shaped the Case According to courtroom summaries, […]
End of content
No more pages to load
