Emotions were running high after the phone belonging to missing Belgian tourist Celine Cremer was found on the first day of a renewed search for her in the wilderness in Tasmania’s north-west.
One of the key searchers, adventure filmmaker Rob Parsons, said it was a like a twist of fate.
“I don’t think there was a dry eye in the area,” Mr Parsons, who has been cataloguing his own private searches for Ms Cremer on You Tube, said.
“Everyone was so emotional. Everything was building up to this point where her friends could be here for the discovery. It felt like it was meant to be.”
Celine Cremer went missing in June 2023. (Supplied: Tasmania Police)
The last confirmed sighting of Ms Cremer was in Waratah in Tasmania’s north-west on June 17, 2023.
She was reported missing on June 26.
Her car was found near the walking track to Philosopher Falls, just outside Waratah, the next day.
‘Everyone wants an answer’: Renewed search for missing Belgian tourist
The initial search for Ms Cremer continued for two weeks, and police have done follow-up searches since, but no further signs of Ms Cremer have been found until Saturday.
Mr Parsons said he was searching with Celine’s friends from Belgium when the they heard the phone had been found.
“It must have been a twist of fate because everyone was heading toward the same direction minutes before the phone was found and when there was a call out that someone had found a phone.
“There was a lot of emotion and a lot of excitement.”
Search leader Ken Gamble with Ms Cremer’s mobile phone. (Australian Story: Morgan Timms)
Celine Cremer’s phone was found on the first day of a renewed search. (Facebook: Rob Parsons)
Mr Parsons said he got to the site where the mobile phone had been found just as search organiser Ken Gamble was pulling on gloves to pry it out of the ground.
They quickly worked out the phone was the same model as Ms Cremer’s phone, and one of her friends had noted the serial number of her phone, which matched the phone that was found.
Find ‘put so much wind in everyone’s sails’
The search for Ms Cremer was postponed on Sunday due to poor weather, but Mr Parsons said the phone find meant there would be renewed hope when the search resumes.
“It put so much wind in everyone’s sails,” Mr Parsons said.
“Because it’s tough terrain out there and it’s easy to get worn out and feel like you’re helpless.
“But having that happen before lunch on the first day — it was incredible.”
Rob Parsons says finding Ms Cremer’s phone gave hope to the search party. (Australian Story: Morgan Timms)
Two and a half years after the initial police-led efforts to find Ms Cremer, officers will again search for the 31-year-old, but will join rather than lead the current search.
Mr Parsons said nobody blamed police for finding not finding Ms Cremer’s phone in 2023, when she went missing.
“They didn’t have the army we’ve got at the moment,” he said, adding that, through social media, he had recruited 25 experienced off track walkers for the new search.
Some of Ms Cremer’s friends also flew in from Belgium to help out.
“The more time I spent up on that hill, the more time I realised that luck was going to play a big part in it, and the more people you have the better chance you have of that luck.
“It’s really a numbers game. The police were similar in the beginning stage, but unfortunately at that point the data that Celine was on the other side of the hill hadn’t been retrieved.”
Celine Cremer’s friends Yoan Minnaert, Rachil Disbechl and Gabriel Remy travelled from Belgium to join the search efforts. (ABC News: Mackenzie Heard)
Mother grateful for search efforts
Mr Parsons said Ms Cremer’s mother Ariane was being updated on the search by her daughter’s friends and by police.
He read out a message she’d sent in an online group chat:
“Dear all, From Belgium we want to express our gratitude to the whole crews. You are wonderful and a special mention for Tony Hage.”
Mr Hage was the volunteer who found Ms Cremer’s phone.
Around 35 people were part of the search on Saturday.
The initial search for Ms Cremer went for two weeks, and police have done follow-up searches in the two years since. (Supplied: Tasmania Police)
Search party waiting for better weather conditions
It is expected the search will resume on Tuesday, depending on weather conditions.
Mr Parsons welcomed the reinforcements, saying it was tough bushland with horizontal scrub.
“You find yourself weaving in and out of branches and bushes and crawling to get through stuff, so it’s very hard going,” he said.
Rob Parsons says the search party will “keep putting in the work” once weather conditions improve. (ABC News: Mackenzie Heard)
“Because of that it’s been really hard to systematically cover the hill because there are some pockets that are just so hard to get in to.
“We’ll just cross our fingers and keep putting in the work.
“We’ve got a few fine days coming up so we’ve got a really good opportunity to get that final closure.
“I think now we know for sure that Celine headed south off the hill this has eliminated a lot of the area that needed to be searched so we’re right on the tail.”