HUMAN remains have been found believed to be those of the backpacker who vanished three years ago on a solo hike.

Celine Cremer, 31, was reported missing in 2023 just days after she failed to return from her trek, sparking a frantic search and growing fears for her safety.

Celine Cremer was reported missing in 2023Credit: Tasmania Police
 

3
The missing backpacker’s phone was found years after she went missingCredit: Facebook/@RobParsons
On Friday, police confirmed the remains had been “provisionally identified” as Cremer’s, with expert reports providing “compelling evidence”.

Despite months of desperate efforts, police were unable to find any trace of her and the baffling disappearance left investigators with no clues about what had happened.

But in a chilling breakthrough, a private search team made up of dozens of volunteers recently uncovered bones, teeth, her mobile phone and clothing hidden in the wilderness – a grim discovery that reignited the investigation.

Cremer had last been seen heading out near Philosopher’s Falls in Waratah, in Tasmania’s remote northwest.

Tasmania Police Commander Nathan Johnston extended his sincere condolences to her devastated loved ones.

“While this provisional confirmation will not ease their loss, we hope the outcome will provide them with some measure of clarity and closure,” he said.

He also praised the huge community effort behind the search, thanking rescue teams and volunteers who “dedicated significant time and resources during the many search phases”.

For months, the young traveller’s disappearance baffled investigators after initial police searches failed to uncover a single clue about what had happened to her.

Officers battled brutal conditions during the hunt, with heavy rain, freezing temperatures and even snow severely hampering efforts and limiting resources.

After the official search was called off, Cremer’s determined family refused to give up hope.

They hired a private investigator who trained volunteers to comb through the unforgiving terrain, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

Some volunteers reportedly joined the search after seeing videos posted by a local filmmaker closely documenting the haunting case, the ABC said.

The phone was first found in a bombshell discovery by family friends and determined volunteers.

It was located “less than 100 metres from her last known GPS point”, Tasmanian explorer Rob Parsons said.

He said: “This proves the theory that Celine lost her phone shortly after recording her final location and provides clear direction on the path she was heading.

“While there is still work to be done before we have full closure, this is a significant step forward.”

The rescue team member who found the phone, Tony Hage, said of his shock discovery: “I couldn’t talk. I just could not talk.

“I just melted. What else would be out here? It’s highly unlikely finding another phone here.”

Cops speculate Celine chose the Philosopher falls trail track – where she is believed to have gone missing – because it was a “direct route back to her car”.

“We suspect she dropped her phone and continued without it, becoming disoriented in dense terrain,” Hanson said.

It took nine days before anyone alerted police that she had gone missing.

Police later found her car at the Philosopher Falls carpark on June 26, just before rough weather set in on the region.

Hanson explained: “In the days since Celine’s disappearance, the winter weather in the area included subzero temperatures, snow and rainfall.

“Expert medical advice at the time indicated those conditions were not survivable for the duration she is believed to have been exposed.

“Our initial search continued for two weeks, and follow-up searches have been conducted numerous times over the last two years, with no further signs of her located until yesterday.”

Volunteers combed through the rainforestCredit: Tasmania Police
More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online