Coroner rules Belgian tourist died by accident in Tasmanian wilderness, urges police review of search groups
A Tasmanian coroner has found Belgian tourist Celine Cremer died by accident after getting lost in the north-west wilderness, ending a two-year search that led
A Tasmanian coroner has found Belgian tourist Celine Cremer died by accident after getting lost in the north-west wilderness, ending a two-year search that led to her remains being found by a private volunteer searcher. The finding, released on August 28, 2026, also raised questions about how missing-person searches are managed when families and volunteers step in.
Male DNA found on items linked to search
Coroner Madeleine Wilson said a glass water bottle and plastic bags that a searcher believed may have belonged to Ms Cremer were found to carry male DNA. The coroner ruled out the involvement of anyone else in her death.
Ms Cremer was 31 when she set out on a walk to Philosopher Falls, near Wynyard, in Tasmania’s north-west in June 2023. She never returned. Her remains were discovered along the Arthur River two-and-a-half years after she disappeared, during a private search effort.
The coroner determined those remains were Ms Cremer’s and found she died after becoming lost in the wilderness. The findings point to what Wilson described as a confluence of errors, rather than any criminal act. That conclusion brings formal closure to a case that had prompted prolonged concern in Tasmania and in Belgium.
Private searchers and police procedures
Wilson also recommended Tasmania Police look at formalising the use of private search groups in missing-person investigations. The suggestion reflects a practical issue that has come into focus in remote searches: families often rely on volunteers and independent teams when time passes and official efforts taper off.
That can help. It can also complicate a case. Private search groups may uncover crucial evidence, as they did here, but they can also raise questions about coordination, chain of information and how best to integrate outside helpers into a formal police investigation.
The recommendation comes as authorities in wilderness regions worldwide face similar pressures. Remote terrain, fast-changing weather and large search areas can stretch official resources, especially when a missing person has wandered off established tracks. Tasmania’s rugged north-west, with dense forest and river systems, presents exactly that kind of challenge.
Wilson’s findings make clear the case was not treated as suspicious. Still, the appearance of male DNA on items thought to be linked to Ms Cremer shows why investigators had to examine every piece carefully before drawing a final conclusion.
“I am satisfied that the involvement of another person in Ms Cremer’s death can be ruled out,” Wilson said in her findings.
