Wrong turn? Amazon delivery driver lands in water in UK after following GPS directions; rescued

A routine delivery in the UK took a dangerous turn after an Amazon driver followed GPS directions onto a tidal route, forcing them to abandon their van as rising waters cut off escape, the New York Post reported.

According to UK coast guard officials, the driver drove into flooding on Sunday while attempting to reach Foulness Island, an area owned by the Ministry of Defence and used for weapons testing. The route in question—the Broomway—is a centuries-old tidal path that is not meant for vehicles and is considered highly hazardous.

Authorities said the driver mistakenly followed navigation instructions along the roughly six-mile route, which is normally passable only on foot and only under expert guidance. The coast guard noted that while no deaths have been recorded in recent times, at least 100 people are believed to have drowned over the centuries while attempting to cross the path.

“The Broomway route is not for vehicles and should only be walked on with a guide who knows the mud flats,” officials said in a statement.

“It is an extremely dangerous area and is on MOD property only free to access when the firing ranges are not active and barrier is open.”

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The last recorded death linked to the Broomway dates back to 1919, according to BBC News.

With the tide rising, the driver was left with no option but to abandon the van. A local farmer later helped recover the vehicle, officials said. The driver was not identified, and no injuries were reported.

In a statement to the Telegraph, Amazon said it is investigating the incident.

Last year, A traveller journeying from Buxar to Delhi recounted their harrowing experience on social media, detailing how blind faith in the mapping service nearly led to disaster.

The incident involved an individual who followed Google Maps’ directions, which led them off the highway and onto an unpaved road. Trusting the guidance, they continued along the route until they reached the edge of a pond, where the navigation system astonishingly instructed them to proceed straight into the water. Fortunately, the traveller realised the peril in time and avoided driving into the pond.

Similar incident took place in December 2024. Three friends narrowly escaped a fatal accident near Bareilly when their car plunged 15 feet into the dry bed of the Kalapura Canal. As per the report, Divyanshu, a Kanpur resident, was travelling to a wedding in Pilibhit with two companions when Google Maps led them onto an unsafe canal track near Kalapura village. The vehicle, a Tata Tiago, lost control upon encountering a broken bridge and overturned into the dry canal. Thankfully, the passengers sustained no serious injuries, and local residents, assisted by the police and a JCB machine, retrieved the car.

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