A 19-year-old Canadian woman was found dead on the beach of K’gari (Fraser Island) on Monday morning, with her body discovered surrounded by a pack of dingoes, and police have launched a full investigation as authorities work to establish how she died.

According to 9News, emergency services were called to Orchid Beach, north of the Maheno shipwreck, at about 6:35 a.m. after two men driving along the shoreline noticed a group of about 10 dingoes (Australian wild dogs) clustered around what appeared to be a body, Wide Bay District Inspector Paul Algie told reporters. He said the scene was “very dramatic and horrific” for those who uncovered it.

Inspector Algie confirmed that the dingoes had physically bitten the woman’s body, but investigators do not yet know whether the animal contact was a cause of death or occurred after she died. “We simply can’t confirm whether this young lady drowned or died as a result of being attacked by dingoes,” he said, stressing the investigation remains open.

Police believe the woman, who had been working at a backpackers’ hostel on the island for about six weeks, left the accommodation in the early hours to go for a swim at around 5 a.m. before her body was found. The time between her departure and the discovery of her body, roughly 75 minutes, is now a focus for detectives. 

Emergency crews, including Queensland Police and ambulance services, arrived at the scene after the initial report and found the woman unresponsive. A crime scene was established soon afterwards as part of the ongoing inquiry into the circumstances surrounding her death. 

Authorities are working to contact the woman’s family in Canada and have appealed for witnesses or anyone with footage from the area to come forward to assist with the investigation. Algie noted the difficulty of the case, describing how the death occurred in a location visited by many tourists and referred to the impact it is having on local police and the broader community. 

Dingoes, recognised as a native species protected under Queensland law, have been involved in other incidents on K’gari, including attacks on visitors in previous years that have prompted warnings from park rangers about wildlife safety. 

Police continue to investigate the case, and authorities said they will release more details once the post-mortem examination and related forensic work are complete and initial inquiries offer clearer evidence of what happened.