Man charged with attacking two young women camping at Coorong National Park

ONE of the backpackers allegedly subjected to a terrifying sex attack by an Adelaide man while camping on the Coorong has left hospital, while her friend remains in a stable condition.

10/02/16 Two women allegedly kidnapped and assaulted near Tea Tree Point in the Coorong National Park. Police arrive at the nearby Salt Creek road house. photo Calum Robertson

• THE SCENE: Isolated and quiet, this beach should be a relaxation haven
• THE ACCUSED: Online profiles show man was ‘looking for a wife’

A NAKED and bloodied woman was forced to run through sand dunes on a remote Coorong beach after escaping the clutches of her alleged would-be killer.

She and a female friend — both foreign backpackers in their 20s — had joined their alleged attacker on the day the terror unfolded at the isolated Tea Tree Point beach, near Salt Creek on the Coorong. They and the charged man had left Adelaide, bound for interstate, on Tuesday, but set up camp on the rugged coast for the night.

It was then the horror allegedly started.

The southern suburbs man, aged in his 50s, is accused of launching a vicious sex attack on the two young women and seriously injuring them.

A fisherman camped about 5km away, where the off-road track meets Tea Tree Point beach, said he saw a vehicle speed past him with a woman in the passenger’s seat.

“She was screaming, she was not in a good way,” he said.

The second woman, who was naked, had run through the sand dunes to the safety of other fishermen camped ­nearby.

The camp belonging to the women who were allegedly kidnapped and assaulted near Tea Tree Crossing in the Coorong National Park. Picture: Calum Robertson

“First of all she just started waving,” another fisherman, Abdul-Karim Mohammed, told Seven News.

“She looked at us. She didn’t know what was going on. She ran straight to the car yelling. She opened the back door, jumped straight in and like ‘Get me out of here, get me out of here. He’s going to kill us all.’

“First of all she had no clothes on so we just straight away gave her our jacket.

“She had some scratches and that on the legs. Look liked she’d been pulled around, dragged around and that.”

Mr Mohammed said it was a confronting scene.

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

“She was just screaming, crying, yelling.”

Another fisherman said that “a girl came out of the dunes, waving her hands and screaming (and) naked, we didn’t know what was going on. She ran to the car, screaming hysterically, we realised something is wrong.

“She was telling us about her friend, her friend was lost in the dunes and she was worried about it.

“Her and her friend split up. They were running different directions ... She got away and she said ‘I want to find my friend’’.

The fisherman’s son said that “it just happened with perfect timing.’’

The fishermen were able to raise the alarm at the Salt Creek roadhouse about 6.30pm and police and paramedics were called.

Police investigating the crime stop in at the Salt Creek roadhouse. Picture: Calum Robertson

They then worked with police to help catch the alleged attacker, who was arrested at a nearby campsite soon after police arrived.

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

Roadhouse proprietor Adam Stewart said he had received a panicked phone call from a fisherman giving him details of the attack and the condition of the backpacker.

He said he had convinced the two “pretty scared’’ fishermen to return to the beach from where they stayed in contact by mobile phone.

“They saw a vehicle and a person running from that vehicle in a pretty bad shape. They weren’t sure if it was the driver (and) they weren’t sure whether to take off but I managed to get them to go back ... and rescue the girl,” he said.

“It was extremely graphic and the panic in the boys was really evident, especially when they got there.

“They didn’t know if she was a man or a woman, unfortunately she was in a really bad way. We wish her the best because it’s not nice.’’

A police car at the Salt Creek roadhouse, near where two young women were allegedly kidnapped and physically and sexually assaulted. Photo Calum Robertson

Mr Stewart said the accused man had been a regular on the Coorong.

“This guy has a ... history coming here (and) he knows the place pretty well,’’ he said.

The first police on scene had a sedan and could not access the crime scene but Mr Stewart organised a loan 4WD and the officers found and arrested a man a short time later.

“He was ... with the vehicle and he got bogged,’’ Mr Stewart said.

“We were all pretty worried about where he could go (in the sand dunes) and concerned about various weapons and so forth as anybody would be in a situation like that.

“His (accused) demeanour was very distant. He looked very dejected. “

The women, one of whom suffered a serious head injury, were taken by helicopter to Flinders Medical Centre.

One was discharged from hospital on Wednesday night, while the other remains in a stable condition.

The accused man appeared via video link in Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with attempted murder, unlawful sexual intercourse without consent, unlawful detention and aggravated causing serious harm.

He sat in Murray Bridge police station wearing a white hospital-style gown with his right hand cuffed to the wall of the cell, and said nothing during his brief court appearance.

A 4WD track near where two women were allegedly kidnapped and assaulted near Tea Tree Point, in the Coorong National Park. Pic: Calum Robertson

Police prosecutors asked the man’s name, image, vehicle and any details on how he met the alleged victims be suppressed from publication. Magistrate Paul Foley said the first of those requests was unnecessary, as the man had been charged with a sexual offence, meaning his identity was automatically suppressed under state law.

Defence counsel applied for a home detention bail report, but Mr Foley declined to order one, saying he saw little chance he would be convinced the man should be released, given the gravity of the charges.

Counsel withdrew their application and the man was remanded in custody to face the Murray Bridge Magistrates Court in April.

The accused man has multiple online profiles, including on dating sites, that show he is an avid camper and fisherman looking for a relationship.

Police examine the scene where two female backpackers were allegedly kidnapped and assaulted near Tea Tree Point in the Coorong. Photo: Calum Robertson

Police on Wednesday scoured two scenes — the trio’s camp site and the alleged attacker’s vehicle, which was parked about 1km away from the campsite and had visible blood splatter on the exterior.

Police Superintendent James Blandford said the women had only met up with the man on Tuesday.

“Effectively these two ladies have been driving with a newly acquainted person and effectively found themselves in a situation which has turned out to be rather scary and physically bad for them,” he said.

He said the three had set up camp at the end of an access road which only can be used to reach the Coorong coast in late summer and were planning to spend the night at the beach.

“One of the victims was able to run away and came across some people who were fishing in the area and they were able to comfort and secure her and make phone calls to police,” he said.

Supt Blandford said the situation for the women — whose nationalities he would not disclose — was “very dire”.

He said the man was found and arrested “close by” the campsite, but would not comment on where the second victim was found.

“The details I can’t go into because it’s still a very fresh investigation and there are still a number of inquiries and witnesses that we need to tie down a story.”

He praised the fishermen who helped the woman, and issued a warning to all people to be aware when meeting new people.

“Unfortunately there are a small minority of people who do prey on innocent people going about their business.”

An Adelaide backpacker lodge operator, who wished to be anonymous, said the attack would have a detrimental affect on the industry.

— with Sean Fewster and Doug Robertson

Timeline

Tuesday, February 9

Two female foreign backpackers meet their alleged attacker and travel from Adelaide to Salt Creek and set up camp in a remote area of Coorong National Park.

6.30pm: One of the women manages to escape from the alleged attacker and find fishermen who notify police. Police arrest the alleged attacker, who is charged with several offences including attempted murder and unlawful detention.

8pm: The two backpackers are flown to Flinders Medical Centre with serious injuries. Their conditions are listed as stable.

Wednesday, February 10

The alleged attacker appears in court via video link from Murray Bridge Police Station. He is wearing a white gown and is handcuffed to the wall of a cell. Elements of the case are suppressed.