Coorong sex attack: Young fishermen who aided backpackers speak about shocking ordeal

A GROUP of young fishermen were confronted with a terrifying, chaotic scene — but are proud that they helped rescue the backpackers attacked at Salt Creek. More members of the group have shared their story.

11.2.2016.Follow Up to Man charged with attacking two young women camping at Tea Tree Creek, near Salt Creek, Coorong National Park . Amer Abrahim one of the fifteen fisherman involved in the rescue . pic tait schmaal.

• THE ATTACK: Horror on the Coorong
• THE SCENE: Isolated and quiet, this place should be a haven
• THE ACCUSED: Online profiles show man was ‘looking for a wife’

A GROUP of young fishermen were kicking back at the beach, not a care in the world, when a naked woman covered in blood came running out of the sand dunes.

The lads were shocked and confused, but showed great bravery during the traumatic encounter.

Abdul-Karim Mohammed said the woman made a beeline for their car, opened the back door, jumped in and yelled: “Get me out of here. He’s going to kill us all.”

“She had no clothes on so we just straight away gave her our jacket,” he told Seven News.

“She had some scratches ... it looked liked she’d been pulled around, dragged around. She had a bruised eye.

“We were shocked when we seen her and then we go, ‘There’s something really bad going on here’.”

Abdul-Karim Mohammed was one of the fishermen who helped the woman escape their attacker.

Another fisherman said the distressed woman told them that her friend was lost in the dunes.

“Her and her friend split up. They were running different directions,” he said.

“She said ‘I want to find my friend’.”

The group raised the alarm with Salt Creek roadhouse about 6.30pm and police and paramedics were soon on their way.

The fishermen then worked with police to help catch the alleged attacker.

“We sealed off the routes so nobody could escape and helped the police when they came,” one fisherman said.

Police arrested a man at a nearby campsite while the second woman was found unconscious and unable to speak.

The two women, who were backpackers from abroad, were flown to Flinders Medical Centre.

Ahmad Mohamad and Amer Abrahim were also among the group of 15 fishermen from Melbourne who had spent the past week staying in the Coorong National Park.

Mr Mohamad told The Advertiser the ordeal had stunned the group but most of all they were just glad they could help the young women.

“The boys were shocked but now they are feeling good. It was an experience that they have never experienced before,” he said.

“(The women) were scared and one of them was injured. They were shocked and we were shocked ourselves.

“We are proud (that we helped them).”