Coroner rules out involvement of another person in death of Belgian tourist Celine Cremer in Tasmanian wilderness

A coroner has ruled the death of Belgian tourist Celine Cremer an accident after bones confirmed to belong to the missing woman were discovered earlier this year.

Cremer, 31, vanished in the Philosopher Falls area near Cradle Mountain in Tasmania’s northwest on June 17, 2023.

Her vehicle was later found in the Philosopher Falls carpark, but she was not reported missing until nine days later, with initial searches finding no clues.

Bones and personal items including a mobile phone and car keys were found near the Arthur River after renewed searches were made of the area in January.

Coroner Madeleine Wilson handed down the findings of her investigation on Friday, reporting a “confluence of errors” had led to Cremer’s death.

Wilson said she was satisfied that “the involvement of another person in Ms Cremer’s death can be definitively ruled out”.

“The death of Ms Cremer was the result of a confluence of errors that commenced when she took the walking track towards Magnet Dam, having visited the Philosopher Falls lookout, instead of returning directly to the car park,” she said.

During searches for Cremer a water bottle and a plastic bag believed to have been used as a poncho were found.

However, Wilson confirmed Cremer’s DNA was not detected on the water bottle or the plastic bag, which both tested positive for male DNA.

“I am not satisfied that the discovery of the glass bottle and plastic bags are evidence that Ms Cremer had taken shelter at that location in June 2023,” she said.

Wilson determined Cremer likely had died after becoming lost and losing her phone while on the magnet Dam walking track from Philosopher Falls.

“Given the location of the human remains recovered, it is likely that she became disoriented and without the benefit of her phone, mistakenly changed direction and began moving towards the Arthur River,” she said.

“Alternatively, she may have made a conscious decision to find and then follow the Arthur River.”

Wilson also recommended that Tasmania Police give consideration to conducting a review into the use of private search groups in connection with missing persons investigations.