The mystery of who left an SOS sign made from rocks on a remote WA coast has been solved, with police saying it dates back to 2013 when a man and a woman were bailed up by crocodiles for a week.
The large distress sign was found in the Swift Bay area last month by a pilot, prompting Kalumburu police to investigate if anyone was missing in the area and spread the message via social media, which led to someone reading about it in London.
The person made contact, saying they knew a yachtsman and his female friend who were stranded there for seven days in June 2013 after they went ashore on a dinghy to look for a fresh water spring and Aboriginal rock art.
But after they tied the dinghy to a rock, a 3.5 metre crocodile emerged and took a bite out of it as they scrambled onto the rock.
With the dinghy deflated, they were stranded and climbed to higher ground where they remained huddled all night.
The next day, when the pair saw the croc was lurking between them and the yacht, which was anchored about 600 metres out in the middle of the bay, they went into survival mode, starting to build a rock shelter and prioritising water, food and getting help.
After a couple of days, a second, smaller crocodile appeared convincing them it was impossible to return to the yacht.
They signalled their distress by making a cross out of oars and tying up the deflated dinghy above the high water mark, which was spotted by fellow seafarers who sailed into the bay on a yacht.
The pair were rescued, suffering mild hypothermia and weight loss.
A WA Police spokeswoman said the man was undeterred by his experience and remained a keen yachtsman who's currently sailing in the Mediterranean - but without his friend.
"I don't think she joined him again," the spokeswoman told AAP.
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