The Celine Cremer Search – Where to now?

With some positive outcomes, the massive search from committed volunteers in the Philosopher Falls region this month has now wound up. The recent search findings have answered several outstanding questions, and conversely raised additional theories as to where Celine may finally be found!

Prior to the recent volunteer search, Celine’s movements on 17 June 2023 had ultimately been correctly identified through the investigative research of private forensic investigator Ken Gamble.

Further on-ground investigations by public searchers revealed the last know GPS ping locations to be accurate, and the finding of Celine’s lost phone confirms that Celine was definitely in the region, along with the discovery of her overnight shelter.

The fact that all evidence confirms Celine lost her phone late in the day when the light was fading fast meant she had no hope of reaching her car that night, and the discovered shelter on the recent search attests to that.

The miraculous and fortuitous find of Celine’s phone in a reasonably open patch of terrain has clearly indicated her directional path downslope towards the water race.

The next step is to pursue the observational movements of her which indicates she wandered downstream on the Arthur River.

Forensic analysis, and ruling out foul play

Regardless of what the police forensic team find on Celine’s phone, the likelihood of some third-party involvement appears exceptionally unlikely. Any forensic information found as a result of the recent search is not going to reveal Celine’s whereabouts, and the police are claiming they will await the forensic results before declaring their next move, which is likely to be a non-event unless there are more compelling finds out in forest in the near future.

Surely the Tasmanian Police must rule out any consideration of foul play now, and stop treating Celine’s disappearance as a crime scene as they have done as from day one.

Despite no other knowledge, or phone pings from any other personal phones in the off-track region on the day of Celine’s disappearance, the Police, beyond their own troops, have never attempted to acquire assistance from anyone else with local knowledge and experienced bush skills, that’s why they are no closer to resolving the whereabouts of Celine!

In my reluctant defence of the Police, they never had the resources to cover the Philosopher falls search area thoroughly, hence why Celine’s phone was not previously discovered. This is all the more reason for them to seek assistance from those who have local knowledge and observant searching skills.

Celine going off-track

It is still not fully understood why Celine headed north down the water race track to near the Magnet dam. The irrational reason for Celine going off track is believed to be in haste as to return to the Falls towards the end of the day when the light was fading, where inexplicably, logic would tell you to simply retrace your steps. Celine’s reason for her off-track route was deduced by Rob Parsons when he retraced her GPS points and concluded that as Celine was returning along the water race and referred to her google map it indicated the track was heading east in a direction that would not return her to the falls, and so she decided to take a short cut into the forest in a southerly direction. This insight explains that irrational and fateful decision, because had Celine walked another 200 meters the track then swings back south toward the falls from where she came less than 30 minutes away.

What’s the next search move?

The latest map I have seen covering the recent grid search region, indicated by an arc, is a potential future search area below the water race to the Arthur River. To date this area has been extensively searched, but not grid searched, and to do so as their next move I would consider superfluous given the location of movements further downstream previously located by myself back in 2023. Furthermore, last week, subsequent to the volunteer’s search, I located some additional movement activity (at least 2 years old) directly east from the located night shelter below the water race towards the river.

This movement direction is consistent with footprint locations I found further downstream over 2 years ago.
I should add that I made my 2023 observations public after I located more than one set of footprints downstream. These observations were totally ignored, and also notably dismissed by the media that had contacted me.

Ted Mead’s own extensive search are is indicated in mauve in this map

Map of Celine’s known movement as from December 2025

Given that it was rainy on 18 June 2023, and that Celine was most likely not prepared for such conditions, then Celine would have only walked a few hours in the chilling conditions, and therefore may be not that far away in the downstream region around the confluence of the Seven Mile Creek area. This is still a large area to search with some heavy sections of horizontal forest within, and any effective search there would require another massive volunteer-based effort to cover the region thoroughly.

There are rumblings amidst the Belgian searchers regarding another future attempt.

Hopefully additional information will arise in the near future as to simplify and pin-point the full effectiveness on yet another search.

There is still confidence amongst the active working group of people that Celine will be found.

I am not holding to that confidence given the expanse of the challenging terrain out there, but what I am certain about is, if she is finally located it won’t be by the Tasmanian Police!

Ted Mead is an experienced bushwalker and guide.

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