Tourists end up in the water in Hawaii thanks to navigation systems
The series “The Office” has taught viewers many life lessons over the years. One of them is: Machines don’t always know better.
Because just like the character Michael Scott from the series dumped his rental car in a lake – because the GPS navigation device told him to turn right – two tourists in Hawaii have now also fallen for their GPS signal.
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On April 29, two people drove a Dodge Caravan into the Honokohau Small Boat Harbor in Kaliua-Kona, Hawaii. Christie Hutchinson saw and filmed the whole action after a sailing trip with a group of friends.
She posted the video on Instagram, ABC News shared it on Twitter:
Hutchinson started the video when the two tourists were already in the water up to the headlights. Even the eager windshield wipers, who are trying with all their might to keep the water off from above and below, can no longer help the two victims.
The question that arises, of course, is: How did it come to this? According to Hutchinson, the two tourists were using the GPS to go on a manta ray tour.
A car that had pulled a boat out of the water was already parked on the ramp to the water. This could have contributed to the confusion of the tourists and could have been the reason for the trip into the river. Because: “It was done so sovereign; they had no expression of panic on their faces. They were still smiling,” the eyewitness told the Washington Post.
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An employee of Manta Ray Dives in Hawaii confirms to the Washington Post that the tourists are not an isolated case: “It wasn’t the first time and it probably won’t be the last time either.”
According to one AAA Research Report from 2019, as many as 7,900 accidents in the US in 2017 resulted in vehicles being partially or fully submerged. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that as many as 198 people died in accidents of this type in 2021.
According to the AAA, in the event of an accident, you should follow the so-called “SURE way out”. The individual steps are as follows: stay calm, unbuckle your seat belts, roll down or smash a window, and finally get out of the car quickly and safely.
Samantha Tavares from the Hawaii Department of Transportation also has a more or less helpful tip: “If you see a body of water, don’t drive towards it.” It can be that simple!
