Pictured: Tourist, 19, found dead on Australian beach surrounded by dingoes - as dad shares heartbreaking tribute

Piper James, 19, from British Columbia, had been staying at a backpackers hostel in K'gari, an island off the coast of Queensland, when she was found on Seventy Five Mile beach.

Her body was found surrounded by a pack of at least 10 dingoes and had been “touched and interfered with” by the animals - but it has not yet been confirmed if they were the cause of death.

Authorities are trying to determine whether the teen died from drowning after going for an early morning swim, from being attacked by the dingo packs or another cause.

In a statement shared to social media, her father Todd James said: "Our hearts are shattered as we share the tragic loss of our beautiful daughter, Piper.

"We will always remember her infectious laugh and her kind spirit.

"I admired her strength and determination to go after her dreams. 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!'

"Mostly, I loved hearing about and seeing the bonds and friendships she was developing as she grew into her beautiful self.

"She loved and was proud of her work at BC Wildfire Services. Piper 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? The pain...RIP my baby."

'Beautiful inside and out'

A family friend also paid tribute to her on social media saying: “Piper was beautiful inside and out… full of life, laughter, and a free spirit that could never be contained.

“Though our hearts are broken, we are trying to find comfort in knowing her spirit is free, forever connected to the ocean of which she loved.

“She will always be with us… in the seas, the trails, the mountain scapes, the sky and all the sunrises and sunsets that she treasured so much… she will be in every moment of wild beauty.

Piper will be loved, remembered, and cherished always.” She also was described as an “athlete, a dirt bike rider, a snowboarder, a dedicated seasonal firefighter, and devoted animal lover.

She explained: “Piper felt most herself when she was out in nature and was always up hiking, camping, snowboarding, surfing, chasing waves, and feeling the sand beneath her feet.”

Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour said late Monday “it is a devastating tragedy and shocking loss of life here in our community”.

“The police are working to ascertain a cause of death. "If it is found to have been a fatal dingo attack, it will be the first one in almost 25 years, since Clinton Gage was killed in April 2001," the Chronicle reported.

Ocean swimming off K’gari is not recommended by authorities or tour guides, especially on the eastern side of the island.

The island is known for its population of purebred dingoes, which are among the most genetically intact in Australia and play a vital role in the island’s ecosystem.

The World Heritage-listed sand island lies approximately 250km north of the state capital, Brisbane.