Naked victim flees for her life in Wolf Creek-style attack on backpackers

A naked and bloodied backpacker fled across the sand dunes to escape a would-be killer who attacked her and a friend at a remote Australian beach. The victim, said to be in her 20s, leapt into a car belonging to four fishermen, screaming hysterically. She yelled at them: “Get me out of here, get me out of here. He’s going to kill us all.” The woman and her friend were recovering in hospital after allegedly being attacked with a hammer, run over and sexually molested in an incident with chilling echoes of Outback abduction movie Wolf Creek.

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.

Fisherman at the scene

The backpackers, who were from Europe, were attacked as they were camping Coorong National Park, south east of Adelaide, on Tuesday evening. They were spotted in the car with their attacker but one escaped and ran to the fishermen for help. One of them said: “She had some scratches on her legs, a bruised eye and and looked like she’d been pulled and dragged around.” After the fishermen raised the alarm, the other woman was later found among the dunes, barely conscious and unable to speak. Their alleged attacker – a man in his 50s – has appeared via video link at Adelaide Magistrates Court.

Given the nature of the charges, their situation was obviously very dire and they were somewhat distressed.

Supt James Blandford, of South Australia Police

coorong