Media release – Tasmania Police, 10 July 2023
Formal search for missing Belgian bushwalker suspended
Following a comprehensive review, police have formally suspended the significant search effort in the Waratah area for missing 31 year old Belgium woman, Celine Cremer.
Commander Stuart Wilkinson said today that a major search including police and SES ground crews, specialist swift water rescue personnel, ATVs, drones and the Westpac Rescue Helicopter had been undertaken in the Philosophers Falls area since 27 June, when Celine’s vehicle was located unattended in the carpark.
“Considerable search efforts have been undertaken in difficult terrain and treacherous weather conditions but unfortunately Celine has not been located,” Commander Wilkinson said.
“Expert medical advice has been received that given consideration to poor weather conditions and cool temperatures, Celine could not have survived the conditions she has been exposed to since she was reported missing.”
Commander Wilkinson said that throughout the search period, Tasmania Police had been in constant contact with Celine’s family.
“It’s obviously a distressing situation, and they’re understandably devastated,” he said.
“As we suspend the formal search, I extend our thoughts to Celine’s family and loved ones at this difficult time”.
Commander Wilkinson said that missing person investigations in relation to Celine remained active.
“I’d like to acknowledge everyone involved in this extensive search, with particular thanks to our SES volunteers, who helped us cover a wide expanse of tough terrain – on the ground on foot and on ATVs,” he said.
“Any further information relevant to Celine will be thoroughly followed up and we still hope to bring closure to her family and loved ones.”
Featured image above courtesy Tasmania Police.
Transcript of media conference with Commander Stuart Wilkinson of Tasmania Police, Burnie Police Station, 10 July 2023.
Commander Stuart Wilkinson
So following a comprehensive review, police have formally suspended the significant search effort in the Waratah area for missing 31 year old Belgian woman, Celine Cremer. A major search including police and SES ground crews, specialists swift-water rescue personnel, ATVs, drones and the Westpac rescue helicopter has been undertaken in the Philosopher’s Falls area since the 27th of June when Celine’s vehicle was located unattended at the Philosopher’s Falls carpark.
Commander Stuart Wilkinson
Considerable search efforts have been undertaken in difficult terrain and treacherous weather conditions but unfortunately Celine has not been located. Expert medical advice has been received that given the consideration to poor weather conditions and cool temperatures, Celine could not have survived the conditions she has been exposed to since then.
Commander Stuart Wilkinson
Throughout the search period, Tasmania Police has been in contact constant contact with Celine’s family who are obviously devastated, it’s a very distressing situation for them. As we suspend the formal search, I extend our thoughts to Celine’s family and loved ones in this very difficult time. Missing person investigations in relation to Celine remain active, and any further information relevant to Celine will be thoroughly followed up. And we still hope to bring to to a close this matter for her family and loved ones. I’d like to acknowledge everyone involved in this extensive search with particular thanks to our SES volunteers who helped us cover a wide expanse of tough terrain, on the ground, on foot and in ATVs.
Journalist – unidentified
So when was the decision made to suspend search?
Commander Stuart Wilkinson
So we decided on Friday that we would suspend the search. We’ve had the we’ve had the actions of the Western District search and rescue teams peer reviewed in order just to cover off on what we’ve done. And we’ve also spoken to Celine’s family over the weekend before we made this announcement today.
Journalist – unidentified
With the weather, how much did that impact search?
Commander Stuart Wilkinson
So the weather was really quite bad and particularly from … Celine was reported missing on the 26th of June. And we then conducted some searches in relation to her phone use. And it indicated she was most likely in the Waratah area. We then found her vehicle on the 27th of June. And at that time, and certainly for the next week or more it was, it was very tough. The conditions for the Westpac rescue helicopter and the drone were really bad on a couple of occasions. And we tasked them and had to bring them back and resort to ground crews. But yeah, look, the conditions have been very cold, very wet. And there’s significant tree cover, as well as fog and all the rest of it. But the canopy is very thick in that area. So they’re very difficult searching conditions.
Journalist – unidentified
Is Celine’s family coming over or anything like that?
Commander Stuart Wilkinson
We don’t think they’re coming over at this stage. We spoke to them on Saturday. And they indicated they weren’t. They weren’t coming over at this stage. But they would if required.
Journalist – unidentified
I guess given that her body hasn’t been found, do Police think there might be suspicious circumstances or anything like that, outside of her getting lost.
Commander Stuart Wilkinson
Yeah, so there aren’t suspicious circumstances surrounding her death in saying that. Sorry it’s not her death, surrounding her disappearance. Look, if she’s in that wilderness there, as I said, the expert evidence we have from doctors is that she wouldn’t have survived. There aren’t suspicious circumstances in relation to her disappearance, but we’re keeping our minds open to anything and any information that comes in. We found no no sign of Celine other than her vehicle. So there’s nothing to indicate that she’s left that area but we also didn’t find anything other than a vehicle to suggest that she was on the track. The track is a very clear track, predominantly clear, you know, in in daylight hours the track is very clear. That may become less so in in darkness or towards dusk but I’ve walked the track myself just the other day and it’s a fairly clear track and you know, not particularly treacherous. So we just don’t know what’s caused her to, to go off that path.
Journalist – unidentified
How large was the search area all up in terms of where police … (inaudible)
Commander Stuart Wilkinson
I can’t tell you in square kilometres how large it is, I probably could if I had the search controllers information with me which I don’t. But it is a fairly significant area. The Philosopher’s Falls track area is about, it’s about a three kilometre return walk. And a reasonably easy walk in terms of a walking track. However, there are significant tracks around the Magnet Mine sort of area, down around those areas. So we’ve we’ve covered a lot of those areas as well, just in case Celine did leave the area and went off on another track. We’ve covered those areas on ATVs and 4-wheel drives and on foot. So quite a significant area. There’s an expanse of tracks and roads down there that most of which we’ve reasonably covered that you might have gone on foot, but quite a significant search.
Journalist – unidentified
I guess, how does it feel not being able to find her?
Commander Stuart Wilkinson
Well, it certainly, you know, it’s really frustrating for all the people involved in the search. Everyone’s heavily invested in finding Celine. And certainly that was the thing we wanted to do, we would love to find her alive. And if we could have brought some closure to her family, that would have been ideal as well. While we haven’t found her, then, you know, the investigation remains open and the missing person investigation remains open, but certainly very frustrating. And a lot of effort has been put in by a lot of people to find her.
Commander Stuart Wilkinson
But we accept that, you know, the Tasmanian wilderness is such that it’s very, very difficult to search if you get off a track and get into some of that, that wilderness. There’s a lot of it, it’s very thick, it’s very difficult to search and very easy to you know, if you, if she was inclined to take shelter or something like that in in an area that was some distance from the track would be very difficult to find a person who was, who was not wanting to be found if you know what I mean, they were finding, trying to be, trying to find shelter or something. So yeah, look, we we feel like we’ve we’ve put everything into it that’s reasonable in the circumstances. And if we get any further information, we’ll certainly we’ll certainly act on that.
