Couple saved from crocodile swamp by writing 'help' in mud

The couple spent the night in their car.

Creative thinking saved an Australian couple who spent 26 hours stuck in a crocodile-infested swamp.

Shantelle Johnson, Colen Nulgit and their dog were on a fishing trip Monday when their car got stuck in a bog.

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They spent the night trapped in their vehicle, surrounded by crocodile tracks.

“We were stuck on the marshland and we were right next to saltwater,” Nulgit told ABC News.

“Earlier that day we saw two, three croc tracks — they were about five, six meters (16 to 19 feet) long.

They waited for the tide to rise then took their possessions and left the car. The pair then lit a fire and scrawled "HELP" in the mud -- making it easy for rescuers to spot them.

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Local police credit the couple for remaining near their car and for letting their family know where they were going.

VIDEO: 'MONSTER' CROCODILE CAUGHT IN AUSTRALIA