‘No sign’ of Belgian hiker missing in Tasmania as police call conditions ‘not survivable’

By Isaac Yee, CNN

(CNN) — Hopes of finding a Belgian tourist alive in Australia are fading more than one week after she went missing on the island-state of Tasmania, with police saying recent weather conditions in the area are “not survivable.”

There have been “no signs” of Celine Cremer, 31, since she was last seen in the town of Waratah on June 17, Tasmania Police said in a statement Thursday.

Police said they had issued a concern for welfare report for Cremer on June 26, some 14 days after she stopped contacting her family and friends. She is believed to have been heading to Tasmania’s west coast when she went missing.

On Tuesday, her car was found in the parking lot of the Philosopher Falls hiking trail.

Tasmania Police Inspector Anthea Maingay said concerns for Cremer’s welfare were growing due to deteriorating weather conditions, noting she had been equipped only “for a light day walk.”

“Weather conditions have been challenging over the past few days, with freezing temperatures, snow and rain occurring,” Maingay said.

“Unfortunately, we have received expert medical advice that indicates the recent conditions are not survivable for the length of time that Celine is thought to have been exposed in the wilderness.”

The conditions are expected to worsen over the coming days, but police said search efforts would continue.

Celine Cremer’s sister Amelie called for help locating her sister in a Facebook post earlier this week.

“We no longer have a sign of life of my sister,” she wrote on June 26, though she said the family was not giving up.

“We are hopeful and [are] waiting for information to drop,” she wrote.

The Philosopher Falls track has been closed to the public while police continue to search the area.

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