Police have been taking phone calls from the public as they investigate the background of a man accused of raping, kidnapping and attempting to murder two foreign backpackers in South Australia.

The women in their early 20s were at an isolated campsite at Salt Creek in the Coorong National Park, south-east of Adelaide, when the 59-year-old-man allegedly attacked them on Tuesday.

He was an acquaintance they had met recently.

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They were rescued after one woman escaped, and flown to Flinders Medical Centre south of Adelaide, where one of the women remains in a stable condition.

Acting Assistant Commissioner of Crime Doug Barr said police were not seeking any other suspects at this time, but every potential avenue of investigation would be pursued.

“The very nature of this crime cries out for us to inquire into the background of this particular suspect,” Assistant Commissioner Barr said.

Assistant Commissioner Doug Barr says no other suspects are being sought in the case. Photo: ABC

“We’ll be trawling his history and other persons he may have come across.

“These sorts of cases are very rare … it would be prudent to investigate the background of this offence.”

Detectives have seized a number of items from the accused man’s home in Adelaide’s southern suburbs as well as his vehicle.

“They do cause us some concerns, which we will look at,” Assistant Commissioner Barr said.

“All questions, missing persons are right at the top, will be examined to see if there are any that are perhaps linked to the suspect.”

Detectives will also be returning to the alleged crime scene at Salt Creek for further investigation.

Taskforce Coorong was established on Thursday and includes a team of 12 detectives and intelligence officers.

Police received five phone calls from the public in relation to the case on Thursday night.

Senior Constable Tim Sydenham said the taskforce was looking into the accused man’s background for anything “sinister”.

“We are urging anyone who may have any information or may have anything that can help the taskforce to contact Crime Stoppers,” he said.

He said the police could not go into a lot of detail about the case, “unfortunately, for public benefit, because there is a man facing court”.

Police said they were conducting interviews and forensic examinations of a number of areas, and said a “wide range of exhibits had been seized” and would be examined in detail.

Fishermen launched ‘rescue’ mission

Visiting fisherman and locals had launched a rescue mission after one of the women managed to escape her alleged assailant, running naked and injured through the sand dunes to find help.

“I’ve never seen so much blood, like, in real life,” the fisherman told the Seven Network.

The campsite where two female backpackers were allegedly assaulted and kidnapped at Salt Creek. Photo: ABC

“She looked like she had dark skin, but then when she got closer, we realised it was just dried blood mixed with fresh blood.”

They reportedly made a call to the Salt Creek roadhouse owner who persuaded them to go looking for the second woman.

They spotted the alleged attacker’s vehicle and made an effort to rescue the second backpacker.

“I’ve never been so scared in my life,” the fisherman said.

“We could see a hand out the window, it was kind of flopping, half waving,” a second fisherman said.

“We didn’t know what the guy had, if he had a gun, if he had weapons, or anything.”

Police have praised the efforts of witnesses and members of the public for assisting the women and police.

The owner of the Salt Creek roadhouse said he believed the two women had helped each other to escape, but one was recaptured while the other got away.

“Unfortunately she was the one who sustained the serious injuries,” he said.

The accused man faced court on Wednesday charged with attempted murder, kidnapping, engaging in sexual intercourse without consent and causing serious harm.

There is a suppression order on his identify and any information that could identify him.