Investigators find phone of missing Belgian tourist in Tasmania
A private investigator has found the phone belonging to Belgian tourist Céline Cremer, who disappeared while travelling in Tasmania in June 2023, Australian media report.
The 31-year-old from Liège was last seen on 17 June 2023 in the small town of Waratah, about 10km from the hike leading to Philosopher Falls, a popular landmark. Friends and family alerted the authorities shortly after when she failed to make a ferry crossing.
Her car was found in a car park at the start of the trail. Several attempts were made to find her, before police called off the official search on 10 July.
During a recent search operation led by private investigator Ken Gamble and involving four of Céline’s Belgian friends, a volunteer came across a Samsung phone with a lilac case. “I just melted. I couldn’t talk. I just could not talk,” the man told ABC News. “You could see [her friends] were delighted something was positively found.”
The phone’s serial number linked it to Céline and her friends recognised the device and its case. It was found 60m from her last recorded location. The device is being examined by investigators.
Tasmanian police had previously suggested Céline had started her walk in bad weather conditions. In June, it can snow heavily and temperatures can drop below 0°. The dense vegetation also makes the terrain difficult to access.
Céline Cremer © BELGA PHOTO FEDERAL POLICE
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