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Couple Rescued From Crocodile-Infested Swamp After Spelling Out ‘Help’ In The Mud

Couple Rescued From Crocodile-Infested Swamp After Spelling Out ‘Help’ In The Mud

Shantelle Johnson and Colen Nugit were on fishing trip around Keep River National Park

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

A couple in Australia have been rescued from a crocodile infested swamp after the devised an ingenious way to make themselves known to potential rescuers.

Basically, they managed to light fires - so far, so normal - but then wrote 'HELP' in giant letters in the mud.

OK, so it would be pretty high up everyone's list of ideas if they were trying to get rescued, but it actually worked, which must be a relief for them.

Shantelle Johnson and Colen Nugit were on a lovely, romantic fishing trip (if you can call a fishing trip romantic) around Keep River National Park in Australia's Northern Territory.

Whilst they were roaming about, disaster struck. Their sports utility vehicle - what the Aussie's call a 'Ute' - got stranded in a load of mud.

The couple managed to get themselves rescued in the end.
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If they were in the Cotswolds it might have been just as simple as a farmer passing by, or a call to the AA, however in Australia literally everything is trying to kill you.

In this instance, crocodiles.

Yep, they spotted croc tracks on the ground and decided that the best course of action was to make themselves spottable to anyone looking for them, then hide in their car. Given that the approaching tide could have lured some of the gigantic reptiles towards them, you'd have to say that's a good decision.

The couple and their dog Ace were eventually rescued by a search team after spending 26 hours out there in the wilderness.

Speaking to ABC News, Colen said: "We were stuck on the marshland and we were right next to saltwater.

"Earlier that day we saw two, three croc tracks - they were about five, six metres long.

"We stayed in the car the first night and then we saw the water rising.

"We grabbed everything and took it about 20, 30 metres from the car."

They eventually decided not to take their chances against the crocs.
WA Police

Shantelle added: "We tried digging [the car out]and we tried putting stuff under the tyres but it didn't budge.

"We were pretty scared and worried, but we were just hoping someone would come."

Luckily for them, someone did come. They'd told their families where they were off to, and when they didn't come back the alarm was raised.

Their sign, as well as their fires, brought the rescuers along just in time.

Colen continued: "When they [the rescuers] came a bit lower to the ground, we jumped out of the car and started to wave them down.

"It was overwhelming, emotional yeah ... we were pretty happy that we'd made it."

That seems like a bit of an understatement, mate.

Featured Image Credit: WA Police

Topics: News, Interesting, Animals, Australia