A routine delivery in the UK took a dangerous turn after an Amazon driver followed GPS directions to a tidal route, forcing them to abandon their van as rising waters cut off their escape, the New York Post reported.
According to British Coast Guard officialsThe driver drove into floodwaters on Sunday while trying to get to Foulness Island, an area owned by the Ministry of Defense and used for weapons testing. The route in question — the Broomway — is a centuries-old tidal road that is not designed for vehicles and is considered highly dangerous.
Authorities said the driver mistakenly followed navigation instructions on the roughly six-mile route, which is normally passable only on foot and only under professional guidance. The Coast Guard noted that while no recent deaths have been reported, at least 100 people are believed to have drowned trying to cross over the centuries.
“The Broomway Trail is not for vehicles and should only be walked with a guide who knows the bog,” officials said in a statement.
“It is an extremely dangerous area and there is only free access on MOD land when the ranges are not active and the barrier is open.”
The last recorded death associated with Broomway dates back to 1919, according to BBC News.
With the tide rising, the driver had no choice but to abandon the van. A local farmer later helped retrieve the vehicle, officials said. The driver has not been identified and no one was injured.
In a statement to the Telegraph, Amazon said it was investigating the incident.
Last year, a traveler traveling from Buxar to Delhi took to social media to narrate his harrowing experience, detailing how blind faith in the mapping service almost led to disaster.
The incident involved an individual following directions from Google Maps, which led them off the highway onto an unpaved road. Trusting the guidance, they continued down the route until they reached the edge of the pond, where surprisingly the navigation system instructed them to continue straight into the water. Fortunately, the traveler realized the danger in time and avoided entering the pond.
A similar incident happened in December 2024. Three friends narrowly escaped a fatal accident near Bareilly when their car plunged 15 feet into the dry bottom of the Kalapura canal. According to the report, Divyanshu, a resident of Kanpur, was traveling to a wedding in Pilibhit with two companions when Google Maps took them to a dangerous canal path near Kalapura village. The vehicle, a Tata Tiago, lost control when it hit a broken bridge and overturned into a dry canal. Fortunately, the passengers did not suffer any serious injuries and local residents with the assistance of the police and a JCB machine recovered the car.