A major search of sand dunes at Salt Creek in South Australia has focused on finding a mobile phone as investigations continued into a sex attack on two backpackers southeast of Adelaide.
The search involved about 30 police and volunteers on Thursday and covered several square kilometres.
Mounted police were deployed and metal detectors used as members of the special Coorong task force, elite STAR Group officers and State Emergency Service volunteers scoured the area.
Inspector Trent Cox said police were looking for anything of interest but were particularly keen to locate a black Samsung phone with a black cover that belonged to one of the two women attacked.
"The scene here is large and challenging, so this has meant police and volunteer searchers have returned several times to target particular locations," Insp Cox said.
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The alleged attack occurred at a remote beachside campsite last week, about 200km southeast of Adelaide.
A 59-year-old man has been charged with a string of offences including unlawful sexual intercourse and attempted murder in relation to the incident and will return to court in April.
Two women, aged in their 20s, were injured with one suffering serious head trauma.
She remains in hospital but returned to the Coorong with police on Tuesday to provide detectives with further information.
Police have taken close to 50 calls to Crime Stoppers and said all were being followed up.
They said they were yet to link the attack to any other crimes.
