More than two and a half years after Belgian tourist Celine Cremer vanished in Tasmania’s rugged wilderness, newly recovered phone data and recent discoveries have provided investigators with a clearer picture of her final hours—yet the central mystery of why she deviated from the path remains unsolved.

abc.net.au

abc.net.au

Cremer, 31, was last seen on June 17, 2023, in Waratah before driving to the Philosopher Falls trailhead near Cradle Mountain. She intended a short bushwalk but never returned. Her white SUV was found parked at the site nine days later, triggering an extensive search that was suspended after harsh winter conditions made survival unlikely.

theguardian.com

Police join search for Belgian tourist after phone found in …

On December 13, 2025, a private search organized by Cremer’s friends from Belgium and led by investigator Ken Gamble uncovered her Samsung phone in dense bushland near the falls—less than 100 meters from her last GPS ping, in an area previously scoured. The device, rusted from exposure, was confirmed as hers and handed to police for forensic analysis.

abc.net.au

7news.com.au

Phone data, including Google Maps usage, maps her movements with precision: she followed the track initially but appears to have left it as daylight faded, possibly attempting a shortcut back to her car via an app suggestion. Inspector Andrew Hanson noted the findings support this theory—she may have dropped the phone while navigating off-trail and become disoriented in thick terrain.

Subsequent discoveries include a water bottle (matching one from her workplace) and a garbage bag potentially used as a makeshift poncho or shelter near a fallen tree, about 300 meters away. These items are undergoing DNA and forensic testing, paused pending results and weather.

The breakthroughs have renewed hope for closure but deepened questions: Why risk leaving a marked trail in fading light? No foul play is suspected, and the case highlights Tasmania’s treacherous wilderness dangers.

As searches continue intermittently, Cremer’s family awaits answers, grateful for persistent efforts that trace where she went—if not fully why.