A coroner has ruled that a “confluence of errors” led to the death of Belgian tourist Celine Cremer in Tasmania’s remote wilderness. The 31-year-old died between 17 and 21 June 2023, as a result of an accident, after she deviated from a walking track at Philosopher Falls, in the state’s northwest.
Sequence of Events Leading to Tragedy
Cremer set off on a walk at Philosopher Falls on 17 June 2023. She was reported missing almost 10 days later, after extensive initial police searches found no trace of her. It was only in January 2026 that private searches organised by her friends and family discovered her remains near a river.
Coroner Madeleine Wilson, in findings published on Friday, detailed that Cremer took a walking track towards Magnet Dam after visiting the Philosopher Falls lookout. “The track to Magnet Dam was not well defined and she wandered off track and became lost,” Wilson said. The deviation occurred late in the day, four days before the winter solstice, when afternoon light was starting to fade.
Key Factors in the Death
Overnight temperatures in the area were close to freezing, and Cremer had insufficient clothing, including nothing waterproof. Phone reception was intermittent, and she lost her mobile – her only form of communication – late in the afternoon on the day she set out. Her phone was found by a volunteer search party in December 2025.
Recovered data showed she took photos and videos between 2.21pm and 2.42pm and used Google Maps several times afterwards, with the last input at 4.18pm. It is likely she got lost around 3.49pm and became disorientated without her phone, mistakenly changing direction. “It is not possible to determine the route taken once Cremer lost her mobile phone, to her final resting place in the Arthur River,” Wilson said. It was possible she slipped and fell, or tried unsuccessfully to cross the river.
Investigation and Recommendations
Cremer had travelled to Australia in 2022 on a working holiday and was planning to return to the mainland four days after the walk. Wilson praised the efforts of a private search company and volunteers that led to the first discovery of her remains. The police response was appropriate, with searches guided by “accepted methodologies”, though efforts were limited by weather, as water levels in the Arthur River were higher in 2023.
Tasmania Police has committed to a review into the use of private search groups in missing persons investigations, including formal protocols. Wilson noted Cremer failed to follow standard safety precautions, such as taking appropriate equipment and telling people where she was going. She recommended walkers familiarise themselves with safety messages and be aware that mobile coverage is often intermittent in remote areas. Wilson also recommended the local council put up signs at the Philosopher Falls track entrance, explaining it is not managed for recreational use and the surface is degraded, uneven, and may be hazardous.
