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Todd James, her father, expressed the family’s deep sorrow and heartbreak following her passing.
In a heartfelt social media post this morning, he shared, “Her infectious laughter and kind spirit will forever be cherished by us.”
He continued, “You will be missed by so many, my dear little girl. Though you may be gone, you will never be forgotten.”
Reflecting on her life, he added, “I admired her strength and determination in pursuing her dreams.”
“I admired her strength and determination to go after her dreams,” he said.
“She was glad I was on board for her trip to Australia. Lol, she said, ‘Because I’m 18, and you can’t stop me!’
“Piper would work hard so she could play hard.”
Her body, found covered in bites and scratches, will undergo an autopsy on mainland Queensland today.
The examination is hoped to provide answers as to whether she had died from drowning or being mauled by dingoes.
The potential that dingoes could be responsible has stunned locals and tourists alike.
The last fatal dingo attack on K’gari was 25 years ago, when a nine-year-old boy was killed in 2001.
Police said the incident has been traumatising to Piper’s friend, the two men who found her, officers and the wider community.
Locals and visitors have been warned to stay away from dingoes.
“Dingoes are wild animals, and whilst they 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,” Wide Bay District Inspector Paul Algie said on Monday.