Remains found in Tasmania most likely belong to missing Belgian backpacker

BBC Europe · Feb 26, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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8 hours agoLana LamSydneyTasmania PoliceCeline Cremer, 31, went missing in 2023 after going for a hike in a Tasmanian rainforestPolice have confirmed that human remains found in a Tasmanian rainforest are most likely those of a Belgian backpacker who went missing in 2023 after going for a hike.Celine Cremer, 31, was reported missing days after she went for a hike near Philosopher's Falls in Waratah, in Tasmania's northwest. Police spent months searching for her but failed to find anything.A private search involving dozens of volunteers in recent months uncovered her bones, teeth, mobile phone and clothing, prompting police to renew their efforts. On Friday, police - with permission from her family - said the remains had been "provisionally identified" as Cremer's with expert reports providing "compelling evidence".Tasmania Police Commander Nathan Johnston extended his sincere condolences to Cremer's family and loved ones. "While this provisional confirmation will not ease their loss, we hope the outcome will provide them with some measure of clarity and closure," he said. He also thanked all community members for their support and interest in her case, praising search and rescue personnel and volunteers who "dedicated significant time and resources during the many search phases".For months, Cremer's case had baffled many as initial police searches failed to lead to any clues about her whereabouts.Limited resources and extreme weather hampered police efforts, with searchers hindered by heavy rainfall, freezing conditions and snow. After police called off their search, Cremer's family hired a private investigator who trained a group of volunteers to scour the area of dense wilderness, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).Some of those volunteers had joined the search party after seeing videos posted by a local filmmaker who was closely following the case, the ABC reported.A report will be prepared by the coroner to officially determine the identity of the remains.