We present a possible explanation for the deep sub-threshold, φ and Ξ − production yields measured with the HADES experiment in Ar+KCl reactions at E lab = 1.76 A GeV and present predictions for Au+Au reactions at E lab = 1.23 A GeV. To explain the surprisingly high yields of φ and Ξ − hadrons we propose new decay channels for high mass baryon resonances. These new decay channels are constrained by elementary p + p → p + p+φ cross sections, and Ξ − production in p+Nb. Based on the fits to the elementary reactions one obtains a satisfactorily description of φ and Ξ − production in deep sub-threshold Ar+KCl reactions as well as the observed nuclear transparency ratio in proton induced φ production in cold nuclear matter. The results implicate that no new medium effects are required to describe the rare strange particle production data in low energy nuclear collisions.