Excitement and ‘quiet confidence’ turned quickly to heartbreak this week during a private search for a backpacker missing in Tasmania.
Belgian national Celine Cremer, 31, vanished in June 2023 while she was hiking alone at Philosopher Falls near Waratah, an hour south of Burnie in the state’s north.
The trail is well-marked, though steep in places, and takes 1.5 hours to complete as it descends through ancient, dense and dark Tarkine rainforest toward a cascading waterfall.
An extensive police search and rescue operation at the time of her disappearance failed to find any sign of Celine, and it’s believed she perished.
However, new phone GPS data unearthed by licensed Australian private investigator Ken Gamble sparked a new search with about 20 volunteers combing the rugged Tarkine forest on Saturday, December 13.
Within two hours of combing the harsh, dangerous terrain surrounding the trail in a grid formation, searchers uncovered a mauve-coloured Samsung.
Celine’s friends, who had travelled from Belgium to join the search, were able to confirm on the spot that it belonged to the missing 31-year-old thanks to its matching serial number.
It is now believed Celine may have dropped her phone in her desperation to escape from her predicament, lost and panicking in unnavigable forest as darkness fell.
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Celine vanished while hiking at Philosopher Falls in 2023
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After the alarm was raised, her car was found at the trailhead, near Waratah
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A breakthrough came when Celine’s Samsung was found on day one of a private search
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Searchers battled tough terrain and weather conditions (pictured, the private search party)
The incredible find sparked strong hope they would find Celine’s remains nearby – and prompted Tasmania Police to immediately send officers to assist.
The group battled freezing temperatures, pouring rain, fog, gusty winds and the threat of falling trees – many of which could be heard tumbling to the ground as they scrambled throughout the bush.
On the final day, the group battled soaring temperatures and tiger snakes.
On Tuesday, an empty glass bottle of Mt Osso Tasmanian springwater with the lid on and a black garbage bag fashioned into a poncho were found tucked beside a fallen tree which Celine may have used for shelter.
It was later discovered that the brand of water was not sold in Waratah, but at the French restaurant in Coles Bay where Celine worked.
The items have been sent for forensic testing, with loved ones hoping they will shed light on her final hours.
‘If those items turn out to be Celine’s, it tells us she at least survived the first night,’ Mr Gamble said.
The same day, searchers scoured steep terrain covered with fallen, rotting logs and dense ground canopy.
Several searchers were overcome with minor muscle strains and fatigue, while search controller Mr Gamble suffered a head injury.
Despite this, the group remained in high spirits on Tuesday evening, with many confident that day four would bring the breakthrough they had hoped for.
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Private investigator Ken Gamble led the search on a pro bono basis
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The searchers emerged from the bush grim-faced on the final day of the search
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New signage has been put in place along the trail where Celine vanished
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The Philosopher Falls hike is a picturesque tourist attraction outside of Waratah
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Celine had been travelling around Tasmania for six months, and is pictured here in Hobart
It was decided the group would look for Celine for one more day before the search was officially suspended.
On Wednesday morning, the search party remained confident they would find Celine and finally give her family and friends some answers.
But that evening, the grim-faced group – including Celine’s devastated friends who had travelled from Europe – returned without having found Celine, though many vowed to continue looking in the following days on their own.
Mr Gamble said the results of forensic testing on the phone and other items of possible interest would determine if the search resumes later in summer.
If the bottle and poncho turn out to be Celine’s, Mr Gamble told Daily Mail the search party will face hard questions over which direction she went next.
‘We’ve focused on the area where there was no phone range, and where she had her phone,’ he said.
‘But if she survived the night and went on without the phone, this opens up a whole lot of new possibilities, unfortunately.’
Mr Gamble, whose devastation was etched on his face as he emerged from the trail as the search was suspended, admitted he was ‘exhausted and so fatigued’.
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Volunteers answered a call for people who were keen to look for Celine
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Searcher Alex Smith and his teenage son travelled from the Sunshine Coast
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Searchers were devastated that they did not find Celine’s remains
‘I am very disappointed we couldn’t finish what we came to do – which was find Celine’s remains – but I am also satisfied that we’ve done an incredible job,’ he said.
‘And we did, you know. We found the phone. It’s a huge achievement and it makes this worthwhile. But I don’t think anyone can keep going, because it’s so hard on the body.
‘We were on our hands and knees crawling today.’
Celine’s disappearance is a mystery that has haunted the town of Waratah – which has a population of 250 – since she vanished on June 17.
Foul play was initially suspected, as the trail is clearly marked, prompting interviews with several people of interest.
However Mr Gamble’s phone data suggests Celine left the marked trail for unknown reasons and likely succumbed to freezing conditions and darkness during a Tasmanian winter.
Celine was understood to be confident in the outdoors, familiar with Tasmania’s unpredictable conditions, and had a good head on her shoulders.
Daily Mail attended the renewed search last week with Mr Gamble’s permission, and uncovered new clues about her final movements.
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The search was called off after four days of combing tough terrain
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Celine’s friends from Belgium spearheaded the search
Celine had been travelling around the Apple Isle for six months and was due to depart for Victoria on the Spirit of Tasmania ferry on June 21.
However, she failed to arrive at the terminal after picking up supplies in the town.
It can be revealed a local, who Daily Mail has chosen not to name, began chatting to the friendly traveller and recommended she visit Philosopher Falls, a 10-minute drive from town – before continuing her journey.
The devastated local said they prayed every day for Celine’s safe return and ‘cannot wait for this nightmare to be over’.
Philosopher Falls is one of the few tourist attractions in Waratah, which boasts a post office, a pub, and a roadhouse, along with its own spectacular waterfall in the heart of the township.
Locals are now quick to advise visitors never to stray from the trail.
Celine was last seen buying supplies at the Waratah Roadhouse, as confirmed by CCTV.
That footage showed a man in the background, who was initially considered a person of interest but later cleared.
That man, a well-known local, spoke to Daily Mail on the condition of anonymity to reveal he was heavily questioned by police for more than two hours.
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If anyone has information about Celine’s disappearance, contact Crimestoppers
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Celine was last seen at Waratah Roadhouse, where she picked up supplies
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Philosopher Falls is a relatively easy 1.5 hour hike – if walkers remain on the trail
Judi Hunter – who has created a memorial for the backpacker, volunteered for the search as a cook, and is in frequent touch with Celine’s mother Ariane – said many questions remained unanswered.
‘Why didn’t she call someone (for help)?’ she said. ‘She did have her phone on her.’
Other locals have complained about intrusion from so-called true crime buffs, including a young YouTuber who arrived in Waratah in early December and made a video suggesting the town was full of ‘bad apples’.
Several people from around Australia have responded to a call for volunteers from Tasmanian outdoorsman and YouTuber Rob Parsons to join the private search.
Map expert Alex Smith, along with his teenage son, travelled from the Sunshine Coast and soon emerged as a key leader within the group.
He told Daily Mail he had extended his trip by several days to keep looking for Celine.
A couple who live out of their four-wheel drive – panning for gold in NSW during winter and spending summers in Tasmania – volunteered because of their fascination with missing persons cases.
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Celine was a much loved daughter and friend
A local woman joined the Launceston SES after putting herself on the waitlist following Celine’s disappearance.
She was seen leaving trinkets at a memorial rock created in the backpacker’s honour, made by Ms Hunter.
Perhaps most poignantly, the volunteer who uncovered Celine’s phone was SES worker Tony Hage, a local from the Waratah area.
He has been searching for the missing backpacker on his own since she vanished.
His voice shaking with emotion, he told Daily Mail he ‘could not speak’ when he first spotted the Samsung under moss and leaf litter, just hours into the search.
Ms Hunter said the community grieved with the Cremers.
‘I made the memorial to Celine because there is a family in Belgium who has lost a daughter, and we have her now, somewhere here,’ she said.
Since her disappearance, there have been renewed calls for caution along the popular walking track.
As bushwalkers enter, they are confronted with a new sign that tells hikers of Celine’s disappearance, and urges anyone who notices something unusual to record the coordinates and notify police.
