Human remains, jacket found in search for woman who mysteriously vanished in Australian wilderness in 2023

Human remains and clothing were found Friday while searching for Belgian national Celine Cremer, who went missing in 2023 in the Australian island state of Tasmania, police said.

A search for the 31-year-old was suspended in July 2023 more than three weeks after she disappeared in the island’s scenic northwest, with police saying she could not have survived the freezing, wet weather.

She had left her car equipped for a light day’s walk around Philosopher’s Falls in Waratah on June 20, the last day her mobile phone had a signal, detectives said at the time.

Some human remains were found by a bushwacker Wednesday near Philosopher’s Falls, police said. On Friday, police said they had located more remains and items of clothing that investigators say likely belong to Cremer.

“Today’s search resulted in the discovery of more bones, as well as clothing items – including a polar fleece jacket – that we believe are likely to belong to Celine,” Commander Nathan Johnston said in a statement Friday.

Formal forensic confirmation of identity will take time but police said they believe the location and nature of the items found “indicate they are likely to be Celine’s.”

Her family has been informed, authorities said.

“We recognize how significant these developments are for Celine’s family, and we are ensuring they receive updates as sensitively and promptly as possible,” Johnston said. “Our search team has continued to work into the early evening today, and the plan is for police to continue to methodologically search the area tomorrow.”

Last month, an independent search party organized by Cremer’s friends and family found her phone in the same area.

Her friends reported her disappearance to Tasmania Police on June 26, 2023, and the original search effort began the next day, police said.

By then, the area had already experienced an intense spell of winter weather, including subzero temperatures, snow and rainfall. Medical experts at the time advised police that Cremer could not have survived so many days in the wilderness under those conditions.