Coroner rules death of Belgian tourist near Waratah accidental

Coroner Madeleine Wilson has ruled the death of Belgian tourist Celine Cremer near Waratah as accidental. Ms. Cremer, a 31-year-old hiker, had been missing for nearly three years before her remains were discovered on January 28 this year.

The discovery was made by independent searcher Jarrod Boys, following efforts by private search firm IFW Global and various volunteers. While Coroner Wilson praised these private search efforts for providing answers to Ms. Cremer’s predicament, she issued warnings regarding the potential for scene integrity to be compromised and evidence to be contaminated when discoveries are not properly passed to authorities.

Investigations revealed that on June 17, 2023, Ms. Cremer drove to the Philosopher Falls car park. After walking the marked track to a lookout, she reportedly took a less-defined path near a water race toward Magnet Dam on her return trip. Evidence from her phone indicated she had been checking her location during her hike.