Hope turned to heartbreak this week as a privately-organised search for a Belgian backpacker missing in Tasmania's remote wilderness ended without finding her, despite uncovering crucial new evidence.
The Disappearance and Renewed Search Effort
Celine Cremer, a 31-year-old from Belgium, vanished on 17 June 2023 while hiking alone at Philosopher Falls, near the small town of Waratah in Tasmania's north-west. The well-marked trail descends through the ancient, dense Tarkine rainforest and typically takes 1.5 hours to complete. An extensive police search at the time found no trace of her, and she was believed to have perished.
The case was reignited by new phone GPS data analysed by licensed Australian private investigator Ken Gamble. This prompted a fresh, pro bono search from Saturday, 13 December, involving about 20 volunteers. The effort was spearheaded by Celine's friends who had travelled from Belgium.
Critical Discoveries in Harsh Conditions
In a significant breakthrough, within just two hours of searching the rugged terrain in a grid formation, the team found a mauve-coloured Samsung phone. Celine's friends confirmed it was hers via the matching serial number. The discovery suggests she may have dropped the device in a state of panic, lost and trying to escape the unnavigable forest as darkness fell.
The find spurred Tasmania Police to send officers to assist. Over four days, searchers battled freezing temperatures, heavy rain, fog, gusty winds, and the threat of falling trees. The final day brought soaring heat and tiger snakes.
On Tuesday, further potential clues were found: an empty glass bottle of Mt Osso Tasmanian spring water with its lid on, and a black garbage bag fashioned into a poncho, tucked beside a fallen tree that may have been used for shelter. Notably, the water brand was sold at the French restaurant in Coles Bay where Celine worked, not in Waratah. The items have been sent for forensic testing.
"If those items turn out to be Celine's, it tells us she at least survived the first night," Mr Gamble said.
A Community Haunted and Determined
The search took a physical toll, with several volunteers suffering muscle strains and fatigue. Mr Gamble himself sustained a head injury. Despite maintaining high spirits, the group, including Celine's devastated friends, emerged grim-faced on Wednesday evening without having found her remains, though many vowed to continue looking independently.
The disappearance has haunted Waratah, a town of just 250 people, since Celine vanished after being last seen on CCTV buying supplies at the Waratah Roadhouse. Foul play was initially suspected, leading to police interviews, but Mr Gamble's data suggests she left the trail and likely succumbed to the harsh winter conditions.
Local Judi Hunter, who created a memorial for Celine and is in touch with her mother, voiced the lingering question: "Why didn't she call someone? She did have her phone on her."
The search party included volunteers from across Australia, such as map expert Alex Smith and his teenage son from the Sunshine Coast. Perhaps most poignant was the involvement of local SES worker Tony Hage, who found the phone and had been searching for Celine on his own since she vanished.
The results of the forensic tests will determine if the search resumes later in the summer. In the meantime, new signage along the Philosopher Falls track warns hikers of Celine's disappearance and urges them to note coordinates of anything unusual and notify police.
