Grim discovery prompts search where tourist disappeared

Specialist police will be winched in to a remote area where a Belgian tourist disappeared more than two years ago, after human remains were found on an isolated river bed.

A bushwalker found the remains on Wednesday during an independent search for Celine Cremer, last seen in the Philosopher Falls area near Cradle Mountain in Tasmania's northwest on June 17 2023.

Police said an additional five items believed to be human remains were also found near the initial discovery site.

The remains, which included a jaw bone, were being treated as a separate investigation as the identity had not yet been confirmed, Inspector Andrew Hanson said.

Testing is likely to take several weeks before a coroner will be able to confirm the identity, with the bones needing to be examined by a pathologist, anthropologist, odontologist and also through DNA at Forensic Science Services Tasmania.

"Each of those steps take time and it could take weeks before we actually have any answers," Insp Hanson said.

A team of officers will return to the remote location on Friday to search along the Arthur River.

"They're going to be inserted approximately 400 to 500 metres downstream of where the remains were located and they will effectively then walk up the river in what is effectively a line search looking into the water," Insp Hanson said.

A privately led renewed search for the tourist has been ongoing in the Philosopher Falls area, with members finding Ms Cremer's phone in December 2025.

A bushwalking member of the search made the discovery earlier this week, with police praising the volunteer's work.

"He identified that the remains, or the bones, were what they were, he took some photographs of them, he recorded the exact location and moved out of the area where he got (mobile phone) coverage," Insp Hanson said.

"(He) then shared those images and advice with Tasmania Police."

The 31-year-old was reported missing by her family on June 26, 2023, sparking a search involving police and SES ground crews, specialist swift water rescue personnel, drones and a helicopter.

Ms Cremer was believed to have set off on a walk. He car was found in the falls car park a day after the missing person's report was filed.

An initial search was suspended after two weeks, with experts saying Ms Cremer could not have survived in bad weather.

Police then deployed a cadaver dog to search an additional "area of interest" at Philosopher Falls following new information about her phone activity, but that investigation was unsuccessful.

Insp Hanson said the remains were found in an area searched by helicopter, but not by foot, due to the weather conditions.

Ms Cremer's family in Belgium had been informed of the discovery.