A critical new discovery has reignited the search for a Belgian backpacker who vanished in the treacherous Tasmanian wilderness over two years ago, deepening the mystery of her final hours. The cracked mauve-colored Samsung phone belonging to 31-year-old Celine Cremer was found just 60 meters from where her device last transmitted a signal, offering the first tangible clue since her disappearance in June 2023.
The phone was discovered by a volunteer during a massive, privately-funded grid search of the Philosopher Falls trail area, where Cremer’s white SUV was abandoned. Located in dense undergrowth, the device appears to have been dropped, potentially as the experienced hiker became disoriented after straying from a defined path in rapidly deteriorating conditions. “The hairs were standing up,” the volunteer searcher recounted. “It was one of those moments where we realized we’ve just had a huge find.”
Cremer, who had been traveling around Tasmania for six months, was due to catch the Spirit of Tasmania ferry to mainland Australia on June 21, 2023. Her family raised the alarm after losing contact, prompting an extensive initial search involving police, State Emergency Services (SES), and a cadaver dog. The operation was severely hampered by the area’s notoriously difficult terrain, described by searchers as an “incredibly treacherous” labyrinth of ancient, moss-covered fallen trees and horizontally grown plants.
“The forest is very, very old,” said licensed private investigator Ken Gamble, who is leading the private search. “You actually can’t even walk through some of it. You’ve got to crawl underneath or try and crawl over.” Gamble’s analysis of Cremer’s phone data paints a picture of a tragic misadventure. He believes she parked at the trailhead, visited the main waterfall, and then continued toward Magnet Dam on a poorly marked track.
GPS data indicates she crossed the Seven Mile Creek but veered sharply off the trail less than 100 meters later, likely after losing the path entirely. The phone was found in a direct line from this point. “The evidence was very strong that supports her getting lost,” Gamble stated. “And now that we found her phone in those circumstances… she’s lost the phone when she’s walking down that hill.”
The discovery has mobilized official resources once more, with police and SES personnel formally rejoining the search this week alongside a dedicated team of over two dozen volunteers who traveled from across Australia and Belgium. The effort, funded by a $16,000 AUD fundraiser organized by Cremer’s family and friends, represents the most concentrated ground search since she vanished.
Further intrigue was added when searchers found a glass water bottle with an April 2024 expiry date—indicating it was bottled in 2023—alongside a black rubbish bag fashioned into a makeshift poncho. This suggests Cremer may have sought shelter and survived at least one night, a theory that could dramatically alter the search parameters if forensic analysis confirms her DNA. “That will be a game changer,” Gamble noted.
The case echoes other long-term mysteries in Tasmania, where an average of 125 people go missing each year. While 97% are found, the state’s long-term missing persons list holds 181 names, including German backpacker Nancy Grunwaldt, who vanished in 1993, and British-Italian tourist Victoria Cafasso, who was murdered in 1995. Police initially considered foul play in Cremer’s case but now strongly believe it was a tragic accident in the freezing, isolated bush.
As the intensive four-day private search concluded without locating Cremer’s remains, searchers expressed a mix of disappointment and resolve. They covered over 40 hectares of brutally difficult terrain, often on hands and knees. “I’m disappointed we couldn’t have got to the finish line,” Gamble said. “But I’m also very satisfied that we’ve done an incredible job… We found the phone. That makes our trip worthwhile.”
The focus now shifts to forensic analysis of the phone and the water bottle. The results will determine the next phase of the investigation, with searchers vowing to continue. “The main thing that keeps coming through is that she may not have been found yet, but it still is a matter of when, not if,” one volunteer said. For Celine Cremer’s family and the close-knit community of Waratah, the remote town where she was last seen, the wait for answers continues amidst Tasmania’s haunting and beautiful wilderness.