Tragic Cause of Backpacker’s Death Revealed
The coroner said private searches and renewed police work helped identify her remains and ruled out foul play.
- On Friday, Coroner Madeleine Wilson ruled the 2023 death of Belgian tourist Celine Cremer an accident, finding it resulted from a "confluence of errors" after the 31-year-old became lost in Tasmania's wilderness.
- Cremer vanished near Philosopher Falls on June 17, 2023, while on a working holiday; Wilson determined she wandered off the Magnet Dam track, became disoriented without her phone, and likely fell into the Arthur River.
- Private searches coordinated by IFW Global discovered Cremer's remains in January 2026, long after police efforts ceased. DNA testing showed the water bottle and plastic bags tested positive for male DNA, not Cremer's.
- While deeming the initial police response appropriate, Wilson recommended Tasmania Police review protocols for utilizing private search groups. Waratah Wynyard Council must install warning signs at the Philosopher Falls track entrance.
- Wilson urged hikers to follow standard safety precautions, such as carrying maps and informing others of their plans. She emphasized that mobile coverage remains intermittent in remote areas and walkers must plan accordingly.
12 Articles
12 Articles
What led to the death of Belgian hiker Celine Cremer, whose remains were found in the remote wilderness of northwestern Tasmania in January? The 31-year-old is believed to have wandered off a hiking trail at dusk four days before the winter solstice, the coroner who examined her remains has said. Cremer was last seen on June 17, 2023, in the Philosopher Falls area, after which she was reported missing for more than two years.
"A series of errors and accidents": that most likely lies at the root of Céline Cremer's death in Tasmania, an Australian coroner concludes in a report. The tourist from Belgium probably got lost while looking for the way to her car. She also lost her phone along the way.
Céline Cremer's autopsy excludes the intervention of a third party and retains the hypothesis of a disorientation during a hike in Tasmania. ...
Belgian tourist Céline Cremer lost her life in the Tasmanian wilderness due to a combination of circumstances and not through the actions of...
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