.
But in recent months, it is his videos documenting the wilderness where the 31-year-old tourist vanished that have made up for the bulk of views to his channel, and garnered widespread support.
A visitor to Tasmania disappears
Celine Cremer disappeared in June 2023 on a bushwalk at Philosopher Falls, near Waratah in Tasmania’s north-west, in wintry conditions police said were “not survivable”.
Despite a weeks-long search effort by emergency services, including with the use of a cadaver dog, they found no further trace of her at the time.
Over the next two-and-a-half years Cremer’s loved ones started organising a private search.
During that period, Parsons was travelling to the area and filming his own search efforts.
A five-day search took place in mid-December.
Although the stated goal of finding Cremer’s remains was unsuccessful, finding her mobile phone was a significant breakthrough.
The discovery was a vindication for Parsons, who had stirred such interest in the case online that outdoor enthusiasts travelled from across Australia to volunteer their time and expertise for the search.
Ken Gamble says his objective has been to try and give closure to Ms Cremer’s family.
ABC News
Building a following through exploring wilderness
Parsons started filming his ventures into Tasmania’s wilderness about six years ago while working at his family grocery store on the north-west coast.
He began researching areas of the Tasmanian wilderness that had been popular with gold prospectors in previous decades and centuries, which he said had never been recorded or shared online.
“It was a void I was glad to fill,” he said.
Without significant outdoor experience beforehand, he said he was able to begin making an income from documenting his wilderness experiences online.
“It was a massive leap, and it took a lot of focus and commitment,” he said.
“And I’m so glad that it did, as it set me on a totally new trajectory for life.”
Although he publishes his videos on YouTube, Parsons shies away from the term ‘YouTuber’ as he does not want to be associated with social media influencers.
“I consider influencers people of lesser talent,” he said.
“At least with ‘filmmaker’, it’s like, well, this is my skill.”
Joining forces with a private investigator
With that skill, and an interest in unusual stories and unanswered questions, Parsons connected with the private investigator Ken Gamble, seeking Cremer’s phone data, in 2024.
Gamble had been given access to Cremer’s online accounts by her family, after her friends had sought him out while he was investigating the disappearance of another Belgian tourist — 18-year-old Theo Hayez — who went missing from Byron Bay in New South Wales.
Gamble provided Parsons with the data, as he knew about the filmmaker’s interest in the case, and they appeared set on reaching the same goal.
Gamble said that the two cases were “strikingly similar” in how Cremer and Hayez had both left a trail of GPS coordinates from their phones, which proved vital to search efforts.
And that data became the hook of the first video Parsons published on Cremer’s disappearance, which as at the time of writing had more than 900,000 views on YouTube.
Gamble said he was initially surprised Parsons published that video, as he did not expect the phone data to be a part of any filmmaking.
But, he said, the data being made public was ultimately a good thing if it painted a clearer picture of where Cremer had disappeared.
And, Gamble said, Cremer’s family was supportive of Parsons’ efforts, which is highlighted across social media as her friends and loved ones shared his posts and videos.
Ken Gamble holding Ms Cremer’s phone after it was found by a volunteer who was part of the private search in December.
Australian Story: Morgan Timms
A volunteer army makes an incredible discovery
And that awareness led to a large contingent of volunteers putting their hands up to invest their own time and money to be a part of the search.
The day before the search, some of those volunteers spoke to the ABC and singled out Parsons’ YouTube channel as the reason they had travelled — in some cases thousands of kilometres — to Waratah.
But, to ensure safety and minimise distraction, Gamble separated the search party into two groups.
Parsons, intending to film his involvement, was in one group with Cremer’s friends and his father.
Gamble led a second group of about 30 volunteers with a broad range of expertise in wilderness searching, including Tony Hage, the man who found the phone.
And it’s agreed by those involved in the search, the phone would not have been found without the sheer number of people who volunteered in response to the YouTube videos.
“It was really heartwarming,” Parsons said.
“I knew that as soon as we got the numbers in there, that something big was going to happen.
Rob Parsons with friends of Ms Cremer’s who travelled from Belgium to take part in the December search.
Rob Parsons/ABC
Responding to criticism
Despite the outpouring of support from the volunteers and ongoing praise shared on social media, Parsons is aware of a small number voicing scepticism about his involvement.
He was asked what he makes of people who think he is using the tragedy to build an online following.
“I feel sorry for people who think that way,” he said.
“There’s just a certain percentage of the world that when it comes to online stuff you just need to ignore.”
Similarly, Gamble knows that some may be cynical about private investigators and believes the successes of the search may change some minds.
“There are unfortunately people out there in this profession that aren’t very professional,” he said.
“But I think that we have a reputation, we have been around a long time.
“I knew that if we do this properly, we have got a high chance of success.”
And, he says, his business took on Cremer’s case on a pro-bono basis — free of charge — but not because he expected it to attract widespread attention.
The future of the search
Weeks on from the search, both men have returned to their versions of normality, but the search for Cremer is never far from their minds.
Tasmania Police is doing forensic tests on her phone, as well as on a garbage bag and water bottle discovered during the search that may have belonged to her.
Parsons has published three videos about what was found during that week to his YouTube channel, which have racked up more than half-a-million views so far.
And Gamble said the WhatsApp group set up among the search volunteers continued to be updated regularly as efforts continue to find more clues about where Cremer went.
In recent posts in the private Facebook group dedicated to the search for Cremer, other members also continue to share ideas and document their own efforts.
Parsons recently shared a photo of a wilderness campsite, updating those following that “the search hasn’t gone quiet”.
“We’re back into it, and we’re pushing deeper,” he said.
In the comments and elsewhere on social media, people continue to praise his efforts.
Cremer’s mother, Ariane, posted a simple message on her own social media.
“Thank you, Rob Parsons,” she wrote.
