{ "id": "r858123cb34d", "found": true, "parent_id": "rf917b9be2b3", "created_at": "2026-08-31 23:00:46.639594+00:00", "rows": [ { "incident_key": "01-12 | Burlington, Vermont, United States", "incident_date": "01-12", "location": "Burlington, Vermont, United States", "people": "an unnamed male driver of the Jeep Compass and two friends from out of state as passengers", "navigation": "Waze app, advised to go straight", "outcome": "Jeep Compass sank into Lake Champlain and was submerged except for its rear bumper; the driver and two passengers escaped unharmed", "source_count": 1, "url": "http://theunknownbutnothidden.com/man-blindly-following-gps-drives-jeep-icy-lake", "title": "Man Blindly Following GPS Drives Jeep Into Icy Lake -" }, { "incident_key": "11-19 | Mojave Desert, between Las Vegas and Los Angeles, US", "incident_date": "11-19", "location": "Mojave Desert, between Las Vegas and Los Angeles, US", "people": "Shelby Easler, her brother, and their significant others", "navigation": "web mapping application advised them to take a shorter off-road route to avoid significant traffic delays that day due to a dust storm", "outcome": "car got stuck in the sand, sustained extensive damage with one tire blown out, rescued by towing trucks; all occupants left alive", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://heralddiary.com/wrong-turn-google-maps-sends-family-on-unpaved-road-stranding-them-in-desert", "title": "Wrong Turn: Google Maps Sends Family on Unpaved Road, Stranding Them in Desert" }, { "incident_key": "2003-03 | Four Mile Bench Road, Utah, USA", "incident_date": "2003-03", "location": "Four Mile Bench Road, Utah, USA", "people": "A South African man living in London (George Metcalfe, 27) and his Quincy, Mass., girlfriend (Rachel Crowley, 27)", "navigation": "GPS device", "outcome": "1 killed (Rachel Crowley), 1 survived after being found staggering (George Metcalfe)", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://automotive-fleet.com/news/convoy-rescued-after-gps-led-them-to-utah-cliff", "title": "Convoy Rescued After GPS Led Them to Utah Cliff" }, { "incident_key": "2003-03 | Four Mile Bench Road, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah, United States", "incident_date": "2003-03", "location": "Four Mile Bench Road, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah, United States", "people": "A South African man living in London (George Metcalfe, 27) and his Quincy, Mass., girlfriend (Rachel Crowley, 27)", "navigation": "GPS device, false encouragement of a GPS device", "outcome": "One person killed (Rachel Crowley, 27), one person survived (George Metcalfe, 27), stranded for six days", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://seattlepi.com/national/article/Vacation-from-hell-due-to-bad-GPS-device-1281292.php", "title": "'Vacation from hell' due to bad GPS device" }, { "incident_key": "2007-03 | Todmorden, West Yorkshire, UK", "incident_date": "2007-03", "location": "Todmorden, West Yorkshire, UK", "people": "Robert Jones, 43, a car delivery driver from Doncaster", "navigation": "TomTom satellite-navigation system led him up a lane clearly unsuitable for motor vehicles and toward a cliff edge", "outcome": "BMW hit a fence and became stuck perilously close to a 100ft drop, recovered after nine hours in a \u00a31,000 operation; driver Robert Jones convicted, fined \u00a3370, ordered to pay \u00a3500 costs, and given 6 penalty points; driver unharmed", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://911uk.com/porsche/i-was-only-following-satnav-orders-driver-convicted.25975", "title": "'I was only following satnav orders' driver convicted" }, { "incident_key": "2007-05 | Four Mile Bench, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah, United States", "incident_date": "2007-05", "location": "Four Mile Bench, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah, United States", "people": "A group of Belgium tourists", "navigation": "GPS device, false encouragement of a GPS device", "outcome": "Stranded, rescued by all-terrain vehicle riders", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://seattlepi.com/national/article/Vacation-from-hell-due-to-bad-GPS-device-1281292.php", "title": "'Vacation from hell' due to bad GPS device" }, { "incident_key": "2007-05 | Four Mile Bench, Utah, USA", "incident_date": "2007-05", "location": "Four Mile Bench, Utah, USA", "people": "A group of Belgium tourists", "navigation": "GPS device", "outcome": "Stranded in minivan, licked condensation off windshield for water, rescued after being stumbled across by riders on all-terrain vehicles", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://automotive-fleet.com/news/convoy-rescued-after-gps-led-them-to-utah-cliff", "title": "Convoy Rescued After GPS Led Them to Utah Cliff" }, { "incident_key": "2008-08 | Near Grosvenor Arch, southern Utah, United States", "incident_date": "2008-08", "location": "Near Grosvenor Arch, southern Utah, United States", "people": "A California group of 13 adults and 10 kids", "navigation": "GPS, pointed to dirt roads that led to nowhere or dead-ended at cliff tops", "outcome": "Lost their way, rescued", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://ksl.com/article/42709121/death-by-gps-officials-warn-against-trusting-tech-in-the-wilderness", "title": "\u2018Death by GPS\u2019: Officials warn against trusting tech in the wilderness" }, { "incident_key": "2008-08 | Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, near Tibbet Canyon, Utah, USA", "incident_date": "2008-08", "location": "Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, near Tibbet Canyon, Utah, USA", "people": "10 children and 16 adults from California", "navigation": "global positioning device", "outcome": "10 children and 16 adults spent a night in their cars; rescued by sheriff's deputies", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://automotive-fleet.com/news/convoy-rescued-after-gps-led-them-to-utah-cliff", "title": "Convoy Rescued After GPS Led Them to Utah Cliff" }, { "incident_key": "2008-08 | Grosvenor Arch, southern Utah, United States", "incident_date": "2008-08", "location": "Grosvenor Arch, southern Utah, United States", "people": "A California group of 13 adults and ten kids", "navigation": "GPS only pointed to dirt roads that led to nowhere or dead-ended at cliff tops.", "outcome": "Lost their way; unstated rescue or injury outcome.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://ksl.com/article/news/utah/death-by-gps-officials-warn-against-trusting-tech-in-the-wilderness/42709121", "title": "\u2018Death by GPS\u2019: Officials warn against trusting tech in the wilderness" }, { "incident_key": "2008-08 | Near Grosvenor Arch, Southern Utah, United States", "incident_date": "2008-08", "location": "Near Grosvenor Arch, Southern Utah, United States", "people": "A California group of 13 adults and 10 kids", "navigation": "GPS that only pointed to dirt roads that lead to nowhere, or dead-ended at cliff tops", "outcome": "Group lost their way; rescued or survived (group of 13 adults and 10 kids)", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://ksl.com/article/news/utah/gps-could-lead-you-astray-with-dire-consequences/25557081", "title": "GPS could lead you astray, with dire consequences" }, { "incident_key": "2008-10 | lake", "incident_date": "2008-10", "location": "lake", "people": "A Polish driver", "navigation": "GPS road navigation device, led him to end up neck-deep in a lake after ignoring road signs warning of a dead-end ahead", "outcome": "ended up neck-deep in a lake", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://polishforums.com/archives/2005-2009/news/driver-follows-gps-directions-lake-29021", "title": "Polish driver follows GPS directions into lake !" }, { "incident_key": "2009 | California's Death Valley National Park, United States", "incident_date": "2009", "location": "California's Death Valley National Park, United States", "people": "Spanish tourist Alicia Sanchez and her son", "navigation": "GPS directions on a road with no outlet", "outcome": "son's death from dehydration; mother stranded without water", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://grokipedia.com/page/Death_by_GPS", "title": "Death by GPS" }, { "incident_key": "2009 | Death Valley, California, USA", "incident_date": "2009", "location": "Death Valley, California, USA", "people": "A mother and her little son on a camping trip", "navigation": "Car GPS directing them onto an abandoned mining road", "outcome": "Stuck for five days; mother barely survived, the little boy did not survive", "source_count": 2, "url": "https://kpbs.org/news/national/2011/07/26/the-gps-a-fatally-misleading-travel-companion", "title": "The GPS: A Fatally Misleading Travel Companion" }, { "incident_key": "2009 | Death Valley, California, United States", "incident_date": "2009", "location": "Death Valley, California, United States", "people": "A 6-year-old boy named Carlos and his mother Alicia Sanchez", "navigation": "GPS guided Sanchez down the wrong road", "outcome": "One 6-year-old boy died of dehydration, mother survived", "source_count": 2, "url": "https://flickr.com/groups/29995922@N00/discuss/72157627326712180", "title": "Death Valley National Park" }, { "incident_key": "2009 | England", "incident_date": "2009", "location": "England", "people": "English man", "navigation": "faulty GPS instructions", "outcome": "car went over a cliff, almost plunged to his death, did not result in critical injuries", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37169468", "title": "The final destination: Incorporating 'Death by GPS' into forensic and legal sciences" }, { "incident_key": "2009 | Mojave Desert near Victorville, California, United States", "incident_date": "2009", "location": "Mojave Desert near Victorville, California, United States", "people": "An unnamed woman", "navigation": "GPS, giving wrong directions causing a wrong turn into the darkened Mojave Desert near Victorville", "outcome": "Rescued before collision; unharmed", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://pressenterprise.com/2011/09/08/inland-gps-errors-can-have-dire-consequences", "title": "INLAND: GPS errors can have dire consequences" }, { "incident_key": "2009 | Mojave, California and Nevada", "incident_date": "2009", "location": "Mojave, California and Nevada", "people": "A woman and her son", "navigation": "GPS route onto a closed road", "outcome": "Stranded for days", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://laraveltip.com/finding-your-way-a-death-valley-north-america-map-and-why-you-cant-just-trust-your-phone-wg8", "title": "Finding Your Way: A Death Valley North America Map and Why You Can't Just Trust Your Phone" }, { "incident_key": "2009 | Death Valley, California and Nevada", "incident_date": "2009", "location": "Death Valley, California and Nevada", "people": "A woman and her son", "navigation": "GPS route onto a closed road", "outcome": "Stranded for days", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://pupjunkies.com/finding-your-way-a-death-valley-north-america-map-and-why-you-cant-just-trust-your-phone-wg8", "title": "Finding Your Way: A Death Valley North America Map and Why You Can't Just Trust Your Phone" }, { "incident_key": "2009 | Mojave", "incident_date": "2009", "location": "Mojave", "people": "a woman and her son", "navigation": "GPS", "outcome": "stranded for days", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://cnta.ca/finding-your-way-a-death-valley-north-america-map-and-why-you-cant-just-trust-your-phone-wg8", "title": "Finding Your Way: A Death Valley North America Map and Why You Can't Just Trust Your Phone" }, { "incident_key": "2009 | Death Valley, California", "incident_date": "2009", "location": "Death Valley, California", "people": "A mother and son on a camping trip", "navigation": "Car GPS relying on old maps with roads that have long been closed", "outcome": "Got stuck for five days; the mother barely survived, the boy did not survive", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://npr.org/2011/07/26/137646147/the-gps-a-fatally-misleading-travel-companion", "title": "The GPS: A Fatally Misleading Travel Companion" }, { "incident_key": "2009 | Mojave, Death Valley, California and Nevada", "incident_date": "2009", "location": "Mojave, Death Valley, California and Nevada", "people": "A woman and her son", "navigation": "GPS route onto a closed road", "outcome": "Stranded for days", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://militarybudget.org/finding-your-way-a-death-valley-north-america-map-and-why-you-cant-just-trust-your-phone-wg8", "title": "Finding Your Way: A Death Valley North America Map and Why You Can't Just Trust Your Phone" }, { "incident_key": "2009 | cliff", "incident_date": "2009", "location": "cliff", "people": "an English man", "navigation": "faulty GPS instructions", "outcome": "almost plunged to his death; did not result in critical injuries", "source_count": 1, "url": "doi://10.1016/j.scijus.2023.04.005", "title": "The final destination: Incorporating 'Death by GPS' into forensic and legal sciences" }, { "incident_key": "2009 | Bacup Road in Todmorden, West Yorkshire, England", "incident_date": "2009", "location": "Bacup Road in Todmorden, West Yorkshire, England", "people": "43-year-old Robert Jones", "navigation": "GPS instructed him off the main road and directed him down a steep and narrow path and onto a footpath", "outcome": "Driver unharmed, BMW left teetering on the edge of a cliff", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://mytour.vn/en/blog/lifestyle/10-instances-where-gps-failed-with-devastating-results-mytour.html", "title": "10 Instances Where GPS Failed with Devastating Results" }, { "incident_key": "2009 | Death Valley National Park, United States", "incident_date": "2009", "location": "Death Valley National Park, United States", "people": "28 year old nurse Alicia Sanchez and her six-year-old son Carlos", "navigation": "GPS directed her onto an unmarked road", "outcome": "Jeep became hopelessly stuck in the sand; mother survived, six-year-old son Carlos died", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://onlydeadfish.co.uk/2026/01/30/business-critical-thinking", "title": "Business Critical Thinking" }, { "incident_key": "2009 | West Yorkshire, England", "incident_date": "2009", "location": "West Yorkshire, England", "people": "Robert Jones", "navigation": "Satellite navigation system directed driver onto a steep footpath, insisting the path was a road", "outcome": "Car left teetering on a 100-foot cliff edge, driver got out safely, car hauled away after nine hours, driver given a court citation", "source_count": 2, "url": "https://mentalfloss.com/article/50508/8-drivers-who-blindly-followed-their-gps-disaster", "title": "8 Drivers Who Blindly Followed Their GPS Into Disaster" }, { "incident_key": "2009 | Death Valley National Park", "incident_date": "2009", "location": "Death Valley National Park", "people": "a nurse and her six year old son", "navigation": "GPS took them down a little used dirt road", "outcome": "the child died", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://theprepared.com/survival-skills/guides/learn-compass-map", "title": "How to use a compass and map" }, { "incident_key": "2009 | Inyo County, California, United States", "incident_date": "2009", "location": "Inyo County, California, United States", "people": "a woman and her son", "navigation": "mapping software suggested a \"shortcut\" through the park that didn't exist for passenger cars", "outcome": "stranded for days", "source_count": 2, "url": "https://thepilotworks.com/finding-death-valley-california-on-a-map-why-its-not-where-you-think-mwa", "title": "Finding Death Valley California on a Map: Why It\u2019s Not Where You Think" }, { "incident_key": "2009 | Death Valley national park, California, United States", "incident_date": "2009", "location": "Death Valley national park, California, United States", "people": "Alicia Sanchez, a 28-year-old nurse, and her six-year-old son, Carlos", "navigation": "GPS, directed her on to a vaguely defined road that had no outlet", "outcome": "Vehicle's Jeep buried in sand; son died; Alicia Sanchez rescued alive.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://p--wcqdvvj9a9v4o4bro4.re-cotta.com/technology/2016/jun/25/gps-horror-stories-driving-satnav-greg-milner", "title": "Death by GPS: are satnavs changing our brains?" }, { "incident_key": "2009 | Death Valley National Park, California, United States", "incident_date": "2009", "location": "Death Valley National Park, California, United States", "people": "Alicia Sanchez and her six-year-old son, Carlos", "navigation": "GPS directed her onto a vaguely defined road", "outcome": "Carlos died, Alicia Sanchez was rescued", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://its-interesting.com/2016/05/07/death-by-gps-2", "title": "Death by GPS" }, { "incident_key": "2009 | Death Valley National Park, California, USA", "incident_date": "2009", "location": "Death Valley National Park, California, USA", "people": "28 year old nurse Alicia Sanchez and her six-year-old son Carlos", "navigation": "GPS device that directed her onto an unmarked road", "outcome": "Driver survived; six-year-old son died; Jeep became stuck in sand and was found a week later buried to its axles", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://onlydeadfish.substack.com/p/fish-food-675-business-critical-thinking", "title": "Fish Food 675: Business Critical Thinking" }, { "incident_key": "2009 | southwest corner of Death Valley National Park, California, USA", "incident_date": "2009", "location": "southwest corner of Death Valley National Park, California, USA", "people": "Alicia Sanchez and her six-year-old son Carlos", "navigation": "GPS unit", "outcome": "One child killed, mother survived.", "source_count": 1, "url": "http://sacbee.com/entertainment/living/travel/article2573180.html", "title": "'Death by GPS' in desert" }, { "incident_key": "2009 | Inyo County, California", "incident_date": "2009", "location": "Inyo County, California", "people": "a woman and her son", "navigation": "mapping software suggested a \"shortcut\" through the park that didn't exist for passenger cars", "outcome": "stranded for days", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://techstorm.tv/finding-death-valley-california-on-a-map-why-its-not-where-you-think-mwa", "title": "Finding Death Valley California on a Map: Why It\u2019s Not Where You Think" }, { "incident_key": "2009 | English", "incident_date": "2009", "location": "English", "people": "an English man", "navigation": "faulty GPS instructions", "outcome": "almost plunged to his death; did not result in critical injuries", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S135503062300028X", "title": "The final destination: Incorporating \u2018Death by GPS\u2019 into forensic and legal sciences" }, { "incident_key": "2009-03 | Todmorden, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom", "incident_date": "2009-03", "location": "Todmorden, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom", "people": "Robert Jones, a 43-year-old car delivery driver from Doncaster", "navigation": "TomTom satellite-navigation system; driver followed the system to the letter which led him up a lane unsuitable for motor vehicles and two miles later to a cliff edge.", "outcome": "BMW car stuck perilously close to a 100ft drop, recovered after nine hours in a \u00a31,000 operation involving a tractor and three quad bikes; driver Robert Jones convicted of careless driving, fined \u00a3370, ordered to pay \u00a3500 costs, and given six penalty points.", "source_count": 2, "url": "https://dailymail.com/news/article-1213891/Driver-ended-teetering-cliff-edge-guilty-blindly-following-sat-nav-directions.html", "title": "Driver who ended up teetering on cliff edge becomes first to be found guilty of blindly following sat nav directions" }, { "incident_key": "2009-03-22 | West Yorkshire, England", "incident_date": "2009-03-22", "location": "West Yorkshire, England", "people": "Robert Jones, a 43-year-old driver", "navigation": "TomTom satellite navigation system, which instructed him along a lane unsuitable for motor vehicles", "outcome": "Driver unharmed, walked to a nearby village for help; vehicle struck a fence on the edge of a 100 foot drop and required \u00a31,000 in recovery charges; driver was convicted, fined \u00a3370 with \u00a3500 costs, \u00a315 victim surcharge, and received six points on his licence.", "source_count": 2, "url": "https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Driver_fined_after_following_sat-nav_to_edge_of_cliff_in_West_Yorkshire%2C_England", "title": "Wikinews article" }, { "incident_key": "2009-03-22 | Todmorden, West Yorkshire, England, UK", "incident_date": "2009-03-22", "location": "Todmorden, West Yorkshire, England, UK", "people": "Robert Jones, a 43-year-old male driver from Doncaster, South Yorkshire", "navigation": "sat nav system; followed sat nav directions down a Pennine footpath believing it was a road", "outcome": "BMW car left teetering on a cliff edge/hanging off the edge of a cliff; driver unharmed, charged with driving without due care and attention", "source_count": 1, "url": "http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/bradford/7962212.stm", "title": "BBC NEWS | UK | England | Bradford" }, { "incident_key": "2009-07 | Death Valley national park, California, United States", "incident_date": "2009-07", "location": "Death Valley national park, California, United States", "people": "Alicia Sanchez and her six-year-old son, Carlos", "navigation": "GPS, directed her on to a vaguely defined road with no outlet for 20 miles", "outcome": "Son Carlos died, Alicia Sanchez rescued alive", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://theguardian.com/technology/2016/jun/25/gps-horror-stories-driving-satnav-greg-milner?trk=article-ssr-frontend-pulse_little-text-block", "title": "Death by GPS: are satnavs changing our brains?" }, { "incident_key": "2009-07 | Death Valley National Park, eastern California, United States", "incident_date": "2009-07", "location": "Death Valley National Park, eastern California, United States", "people": "28-year-old nurse Alicia Sanchez and her six-year-old son", "navigation": "GPS directed them onto a secluded road", "outcome": "Six-year-old boy killed (died two days prior to rescue), 28-year-old nurse Alicia Sanchez rescued severely dehydrated, Jeep Cherokee stuck in sand", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://mytour.vn/en/blog/lifestyle/10-instances-where-gps-failed-with-devastating-results-mytour.html", "title": "10 Instances Where GPS Failed with Devastating Results" }, { "incident_key": "2009-07 | Death Valley National Park, California, United States", "incident_date": "2009-07", "location": "Death Valley National Park, California, United States", "people": "Alicia Sanchez and her six-year-old son, Carlos", "navigation": "GPS device, which directed her onto a vaguely defined road that had no outlet.", "outcome": "Six-year-old Carlos died; mother Alicia Sanchez survived after being rescued.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://arstechnica.com/cars/2016/05/death-by-gps", "title": "Death by GPS - Ars Technica" }, { "incident_key": "2009-07 | Death Valley National Park, California, USA", "incident_date": "2009-07", "location": "Death Valley National Park, California, USA", "people": "Visitors arriving from the west", "navigation": "GPS; directed them over an unpaved, winding, washboard road toward Saline Valley instead of the shortest, safe, paved route", "outcome": "Became stuck near a remote abandoned mine site called Lippincott; everybody survived after one of them walked out 20 to 25 miles to make contact with a ranger", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20141204192241/http:/www.sacbee.com/entertainment/living/travel/article2573180.html", "title": "'Death by GPS' in desert" }, { "incident_key": "2009-08 | Death Valley, California", "incident_date": "2009-08", "location": "Death Valley, California", "people": "Elisia Sanchez and her six-year old son, Carlos", "navigation": "GPS navigation", "outcome": "While Elisia survived after being lost for five days, her six-year old son, Carlos, did not.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://mindmatters.ai/2020/01/ai-should-mean-thinking-smarter-not-less", "title": "AI Should Mean Thinking Smarter, Not Less" }, { "incident_key": "2009-08 | Death Valley National Park, California, United States", "incident_date": "2009-08", "location": "Death Valley National Park, California, United States", "people": "Alicia Sanchez, a 28-year-old nurse from Las Vegas, and her 11-year-old son Carlos", "navigation": "GPS unit that directed her Jeep Cherokee onto a rough, closed backcountry road", "outcome": "Carlos succumbed to dehydration and heatstroke on August 6; Sanchez was rescued the following day", "source_count": 6, "url": "https://nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/death-gps-could-it-happen-you-flna125321", "title": "'Death by GPS': Could it happen to you?" }, { "incident_key": "2009-08 | Death Valley National Park, California, USA", "incident_date": "2009-08", "location": "Death Valley National Park, California, USA", "people": "Alicia Sanchez and her 6-year-old son Carlos", "navigation": "GPS unit; followed wrong road as instructed by GPS", "outcome": "Alicia Sanchez survived after being rescued; her 6-year-old son Carlos died in the vehicle.", "source_count": 5, "url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20141204192241/http:/www.sacbee.com/entertainment/living/travel/article2573180.html", "title": "'Death by GPS' in desert" }, { "incident_key": "2009-08 | Death Valley, California, United States", "incident_date": "2009-08", "location": "Death Valley, California, United States", "people": "Alicia Sanchez and her 6-year-old son", "navigation": "GPS device providing incorrect directions leading to extreme temperatures", "outcome": "Alicia Sanchez almost survived with severe conditions; her 6-year-old son did not survive the searing temperatures.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://learn.eartheasy.com/articles/how-to-avoid-death-by-gps", "title": "How to Avoid \u201cDeath by GPS\u201d" }, { "incident_key": "2009-08 | Death Valley National Park, Owlshead Mountains, California, United States", "incident_date": "2009-08", "location": "Death Valley National Park, Owlshead Mountains, California, United States", "people": "Alicia Sanchez and her 6-year-old son, Carlos", "navigation": "GPS used to go 20 miles down a remote deadend road", "outcome": "Jeep Cherokee buried in hot sand, son Carlos died, mother Alicia Sanchez rescued after five days", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/2011/05/missing_canadian_couple_experts_say_always_pair_gps_with_paper_map_realize_technology_not_infallible.html", "title": "Missing Canadian couple: Experts say always pair GPS with paper map, realize technology not infallible" }, { "incident_key": "2009-08 | Death Valley", "incident_date": "2009-08", "location": "Death Valley", "people": "Alicia Sanchez and her 6-year-old son", "navigation": "GPS, following incorrect directions", "outcome": "Alicia Sanchez almost died, and her 6-year-old son did not survive the searing temperatures.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://eartheasy.com/blogs/travel-adventure/how-to-avoid-death-by-gps", "title": "How to Avoid \u201cDeath by GPS\u201d" }, { "incident_key": "2009-08-06 | Death Valley National Park, California, USA", "incident_date": "2009-08-06", "location": "Death Valley National Park, California, USA", "people": "Alicia Sanchez and her 6-year-old son Carlos Sanchez", "navigation": "GPS unit; followed a GPS unit that led her astray onto a dead-end backcountry road", "outcome": "One child (6-year-old Carlos Sanchez) died; the driver (Alicia Sanchez, 28) survived and was rescued", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://sacbee.com/entertainment/living/travel/article2573180.html", "title": "'Death by GPS' in desert" }, { "incident_key": "2009-12 | Oregon desert, Oregon, USA", "incident_date": "2009-12", "location": "Oregon desert, Oregon, USA", "people": "a couple from Nevada", "navigation": "navigation device", "outcome": "stranded for three days", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://aol.co.uk/lifestyle/2011-05-12-sat-nav-system-blamed-for-woman-who-nearly-died-in-remote-mounta.html", "title": "Sat nav system blamed for woman who nearly died in US mountains" }, { "incident_key": "2010 | Death Valley, California, United States", "incident_date": "2010", "location": "Death Valley, California, United States", "people": "Donna Cooper and her family", "navigation": "Nell (GPS), told them to go 550 feet, then turn right, then go a quarter of a mile and turn left", "outcome": "Rescued after three days of being lost; everyone survived.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://flickr.com/groups/29995922@N00/discuss/72157627326712180", "title": "Death Valley National Park" }, { "incident_key": "2010 | La Serena Reservoir, near Capilla, Spain", "incident_date": "2010", "location": "La Serena Reservoir, near Capilla, Spain", "people": "A 37-year-old man", "navigation": "GPS signal showing a road as usable", "outcome": "Peugeot 306 plunged into reservoir, driver died", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/2011/05/missing_canadian_couple_experts_say_always_pair_gps_with_paper_map_realize_technology_not_infallible.html", "title": "Missing Canadian couple: Experts say always pair GPS with paper map, realize technology not infallible" }, { "incident_key": "2010-07 | Death Valley, California", "incident_date": "2010-07", "location": "Death Valley, California", "people": "Donna Cooper and her family", "navigation": "Nell, the GPS; gave instructions to go 550 feet, then turn right, and to go a quarter of a mile and turn left, running them in circles for hours", "outcome": "Rescued after three days of being lost; everyone survived", "source_count": 2, "url": "https://npr.org/2011/07/26/137646147/the-gps-a-fatally-misleading-t", "title": "The GPS: A Fatally Misleading Travel Companion" }, { "incident_key": "2010-07 | Death Valley, California, USA", "incident_date": "2010-07", "location": "Death Valley, California, USA", "people": "Donna Cooper and her family", "navigation": "GPS named \"Nell\"; instructed them to go 550 feet, then turn right, then go a quarter of a mile and turn left, running them in circles for hours", "outcome": "Three days lost in Death Valley; everyone survived and was rescued by a search and rescue helicopter", "source_count": 2, "url": "https://kpbs.org/news/national/2011/07/26/the-gps-a-fatally-misleading-travel-companion", "title": "The GPS: A Fatally Misleading Travel Companion" }, { "incident_key": "2010-07 | Death Valley, California, United States", "incident_date": "2010-07", "location": "Death Valley, California, United States", "people": "Donna Cooper of Pahrump, Nevada, and her family", "navigation": "Nell, the GPS; led her running in circles for hours after following directions for the shortest route back home", "outcome": "Lost for three days; everyone survived and they were found by a search and rescue helicopter", "source_count": 2, "url": "https://freightrelocators.com/threads/gps-kills-the-gps-a-fatally-misleading-travel-companion.65151", "title": "GPS Kills! ~ The GPS: A Fatally Misleading Travel Companion" }, { "incident_key": "2011 | Nevada wilderness, Nevada, USA", "incident_date": "2011", "location": "Nevada wilderness, Nevada, USA", "people": "Albert Chretien, 59, and his wife Rita Chretien, 56", "navigation": "hand-held GPS, an electronic device tied to global satellites and commonly used for navigation; mapped the route", "outcome": "Albert Chretien missing since March 22; Rita Chretien found alive by hunters after 48 days.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://resistforum.forumotion.com/t368-travelers-told-not-to-rely-only-on-gps", "title": "Travelers told Not To Rely Only On GPS" }, { "incident_key": "2011 | Bellevue, Washington", "incident_date": "2011", "location": "Bellevue, Washington", "people": "Three women", "navigation": "GPS re-routed and directed them into a boat launch instead of a highway", "outcome": "SUV ended up sinking into deep water and was completely submerged, all three occupants got out safely", "source_count": 2, "url": "https://mentalfloss.com/article/50508/8-drivers-who-blindly-followed-their-gps-disaster", "title": "8 Drivers Who Blindly Followed Their GPS Into Disaster" }, { "incident_key": "2011 | Northern Elko County, Nevada, United States", "incident_date": "2011", "location": "Northern Elko County, Nevada, United States", "people": "Albert and Rita Chretien", "navigation": "Navigation system instructed them to travel high into the desert mountains and canyons", "outcome": "Albert Chretien died, Rita Chretien survived after being stranded for nearly two months", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://grunge.com/762177/terrifying-real-life-examples-of-death-by-gps", "title": "Terrifying Real-Life Examples Of Death By GPS" }, { "incident_key": "2011-03 | Desert mountains, en route to Las Vegas, United States", "incident_date": "2011-03", "location": "Desert mountains, en route to Las Vegas, United States", "people": "Albert and Rita Chretien", "navigation": "GPS system suggested a shortcut that did not account for seasonal conditions, leading them onto a dangerous, remote road", "outcome": "Albert Chretien died, Rita Chretien rescued after 49 days, Chevrolet Astro van stuck in mud", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://mytour.vn/en/blog/lifestyle/10-instances-where-gps-failed-with-devastating-results-mytour.html", "title": "10 Instances Where GPS Failed with Devastating Results" }, { "incident_key": "2011-03 | northern Nevada", "incident_date": "2011-03", "location": "northern Nevada", "people": "a couple from British Columbia", "navigation": "GPS led them off course", "outcome": "A couple died", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_by_GPS", "title": "Death by GPS" }, { "incident_key": "2011-03 | northern Oregon, Idaho State Highway 51, and near an Idaho ghost town leading toward Mountain City, Nevada, USA", "incident_date": "2011-03", "location": "northern Oregon, Idaho State Highway 51, and near an Idaho ghost town leading toward Mountain City, Nevada, USA", "people": "Albert Chretien and his wife, Rita", "navigation": "Magellan GPS unit, used by entering Mountain City, Nevada as the destination, which led them onto a small dirt road near an Idaho ghost town and eventually to a confusing three-way crossroads.", "outcome": "Driver and passenger became stranded on a dirt road in remote terrain after failing to find an eastward passage.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://vuink.com/post/nefgrpuavpn-d-dpbz/cars/2016/05/death-by-gps", "title": "Death by GPS - Ars Technica" }, { "incident_key": "2011-03 | northern Nevada, United States", "incident_date": "2011-03", "location": "northern Nevada, United States", "people": "a couple from British Columbia", "navigation": "GPS led them off course", "outcome": "a couple died", "source_count": 2, "url": "https://everything.explained.today/Death_by_GPS", "title": "Death by GPS explained" }, { "incident_key": "2011-03 | Nevada, United States", "incident_date": "2011-03", "location": "Nevada, United States", "people": "Albert Chretien, 59, and Rita Chretien, 56", "navigation": "The GPS system of the holidaying B.C. couple's van sent them down a treacherous back road.", "outcome": "Mr. Chretien went missing and is presumed deceased, while Mrs. Chretien survived and was rescued after 49 days.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/seven-weeks-in-wilderness-rita-chretien-recalls-her-nightmare/article556079", "title": "Seven weeks in wilderness: Rita Chretien recalls her nightmare" }, { "incident_key": "2011-03-22 | Nevada wilderness, Nevada, USA", "incident_date": "2011-03-22", "location": "Nevada wilderness, Nevada, USA", "people": "Albert Chretien, 59, and his wife Rita Chretien, 56", "navigation": "hand-held GPS, mapping a shorter route between Boise, Idaho and Jackpot, Nevada", "outcome": "Driver Albert Chretien has been missing since March 22, while wife Rita Chretien was found alive after 48 days.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://ciol.com/travelers-warned-rely-gps", "title": "Travelers warned not to rely only on GPS" }, { "incident_key": "2011-05 | remote area of Nevada", "incident_date": "2011-05", "location": "remote area of Nevada", "people": "Albert and Rita Chretien (a Canadian couple)", "navigation": "Magellan unit", "outcome": "Rita was found alive after seven and a half weeks and spent about a week or so in the hospital; Albert went missing and chances are did not survive", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://thriftyfun.com/Avoid-Death-by-GPS.html", "title": "Avoid \"Death by GPS!\"" }, { "incident_key": "2011-05 | Nevada wilderness, Nevada, USA", "incident_date": "2011-05", "location": "Nevada wilderness, Nevada, USA", "people": "A Canadian couple, Rita Chretien and her husband Albert Chretien", "navigation": "Magellan GPS mounted on their dash, leading them to a dead end in the wilderness", "outcome": "Albert and Rita Chretien got stranded in their van; Rita was rescued after seven-and-a-half weeks, while Albert went for help and remained missing.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://cbsnews.com/news/death-by-gps-warnings-about-the-devices", "title": "\"Death by GPS\": Warnings about the devices" }, { "incident_key": "2011-06 | Mercer Slough in Bellevue, Washington, United States", "incident_date": "2011-06", "location": "Mercer Slough in Bellevue, Washington, United States", "people": "Three young women", "navigation": "GPS led the driver down a boat launch and into a lake", "outcome": "Three women unharmed, Mercedes-Benz rental SUV entirely submerged", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://mytour.vn/en/blog/lifestyle/10-instances-where-gps-failed-with-devastating-results-mytour.html", "title": "10 Instances Where GPS Failed with Devastating Results" }, { "incident_key": "2011-07 | Death Valley, California", "incident_date": "2011-07", "location": "Death Valley, California", "people": "Donna Cooper and her family", "navigation": "Nell, the GPS; gave instructions such as to go 550 feet, then turn right, then go a quarter of a mile and turn left, running them in circles for hours", "outcome": "Rescued by a search and rescue helicopter after three days of being lost; everyone survived", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://npr.org/2011/07/26/137646147/the-gps-a-fatally-misleading-travel-companion", "title": "The GPS: A Fatally Misleading Travel Companion" }, { "incident_key": "2012 | Moreton Bay, Australia", "incident_date": "2012", "location": "Moreton Bay, Australia", "people": "three Japanese tourists", "navigation": "faulty GPS instructions", "outcome": "drove their rental car into Moreton Bay; did not result in critical injuries", "source_count": 6, "url": "https://dotnetliberty.com/michael-drives-into-a-lake-a34xvhf", "title": "michael drives into a lake" }, { "incident_key": "2012 | between North Stradbroke Island and the mainland on the Australian coast", "incident_date": "2012", "location": "between North Stradbroke Island and the mainland on the Australian coast", "people": "three Japanese tourists", "navigation": "GPS", "outcome": "3 tourists misled / entered water and mud", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://indiatimes.com/news/india/what-is-death-by-gps-how-technology-is-killing-people-616526.html", "title": "What Is 'Death By GPS'? How Technology Is Killing People?" }, { "incident_key": "2012 | North Stradbroke Island, Queensland, Australia", "incident_date": "2012", "location": "North Stradbroke Island, Queensland, Australia", "people": "Three Japanese tourists", "navigation": "GPS neglected to mention the 15 kilometers (9 miles) of water and mud between the two locations and led them to drive into the ocean", "outcome": "Three unharmed occupants, Hyundai Getz rental car submerged in 2 meters of water", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://mytour.vn/en/blog/lifestyle/10-instances-where-gps-failed-with-devastating-results-mytour.html", "title": "10 Instances Where GPS Failed with Devastating Results" }, { "incident_key": "2012 | North Stradbroke Island and mainland, Australia", "incident_date": "2012", "location": "North Stradbroke Island and mainland, Australia", "people": "three Japanese tourists", "navigation": "GPS told them to reach North Stradbroke Island but forgot to mention the 9 miles of water", "outcome": "car got stuck, abandoned, and towed; three tourists unharmed", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://geographyrealm.com/why-do-we-blindly-follow-our-gps", "title": "Why Do We Blindly Follow Our GPS?" }, { "incident_key": "2012 | North Stradbroke Island, Brisbane, Australia", "incident_date": "2012", "location": "North Stradbroke Island, Brisbane, Australia", "people": "Three Japanese tourists", "navigation": "GPS used to plan a drive across water", "outcome": "Vehicle abandoned, sent to the dump, occupants returned on foot unharmed", "source_count": 1, "url": "http://theweek.com/articles/464674/8-drivers-who-blindly-followed-gps-into-disaster", "title": "8 drivers who blindly followed their GPS into disaster" }, { "incident_key": "2013-XX-XX | Tobermory, Ontario, Canada", "incident_date": "2013-XX-XX", "location": "Tobermory, Ontario, Canada", "people": "A Kitchener woman new to the area", "navigation": "GPS instructions that led her to take a wrong turn into Little Tub Harbour and drive down a boat launch", "outcome": "A red car was fully submerged and pulled from the harbour; the female occupant/driver survived.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://forestriverforums.com/threads/woman-follows-gps-and-drives-down-boat-launch-into-lake.226052", "title": "Woman Follows GPS and Drives Down Boat Launch Into lake" }, { "incident_key": "2015 | Southern Utah, United States", "incident_date": "2015", "location": "Southern Utah, United States", "people": "An elementary teacher from Washington State", "navigation": "GPS", "outcome": "Got stuck; discovered by happenstance", "source_count": 2, "url": "https://ksl.com/article/news/utah/death-by-gps-officials-warn-against-trusting-tech-in-the-wilderness/42709121", "title": "\u2018Death by GPS\u2019: Officials warn against trusting tech in the wilderness" }, { "incident_key": "2015-01-12 | Lake Champlain, Burlington, Vermont, United States", "incident_date": "2015-01-12", "location": "Lake Champlain, Burlington, Vermont, United States", "people": "An unnamed male driver and two passengers, friends from out of state driving a borrowed car", "navigation": "Waze app, directed to go straight down the boat ramp onto the ice", "outcome": "Jeep Compass sank with only the rear bumper visible; 3 occupants escaped unharmed and the vehicle was later pulled from the water", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://timesofisrael.com/waze-sends-us-driver-into-lake", "title": "Waze navigation app sends US driver into lake" }, { "incident_key": "2015-01-12 | Burlington, Vermont, United States", "incident_date": "2015-01-12", "location": "Burlington, Vermont, United States", "people": "An unnamed driver and two passengers (friends from out of state driving a borrowed car belonging to Tara Guertin)", "navigation": "Waze app, which advised to go straight, leading the driver down a boat ramp onto the ice", "outcome": "Jeep Compass submerged in Lake Champlain with only its rear bumper visible; three occupants (the driver and two passengers) escaped unharmed", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://straitstimes.com/world/united-states/take-the-next-u-turn-us-driver-following-gps-plunges-into-lake", "title": "Take the next U-turn: US driver following GPS plunges into lake" }, { "incident_key": "2015-03 | Indiana, United States", "incident_date": "2015-03", "location": "Indiana, United States", "people": "64-year-old Iftikhar Hussain and his 51-year-old wife, Zohra", "navigation": "GPS directed them onto a bridge that had been closed for repairs since 2009", "outcome": "Zohra Hussain killed, Iftikhar Hussain survived, Nissan Sentra fell off bridge and ignited in flames", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://mytour.vn/en/blog/lifestyle/10-instances-where-gps-failed-with-devastating-results-mytour.html", "title": "10 Instances Where GPS Failed with Devastating Results" }, { "incident_key": "2015-03 | Lake County, Indiana, United States", "incident_date": "2015-03", "location": "Lake County, Indiana, United States", "people": "Iftikhar Hussain and his wife", "navigation": "Navigation system suggested taking the Cline Avenue Bridge which was closed", "outcome": "Wife 51 killed, 64-year-old husband survived, vehicle plummeted nearly 40 feet in a fiery crash", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://grunge.com/762177/terrifying-real-life-examples-of-death-by-gps", "title": "Terrifying Real-Life Examples Of Death By GPS" }, { "incident_key": "2015-03 | Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal, Indiana, United States", "incident_date": "2015-03", "location": "Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal, Indiana, United States", "people": "Iftikhar and Zohra Hussain", "navigation": "Navigation system, distracted the driver from road closed signs and barriers on a bridge", "outcome": "Car plunged off a bridge, Zohra died from burns, Iftikhar escaped", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://theguardian.com/technology/2016/jun/25/gps-horror-stories-driving-satnav-greg-milner?trk=article-ssr-frontend-pulse_little-text-block", "title": "Death by GPS: are satnavs changing our brains?" }, { "incident_key": "2016 | Georgian Bay, Ontario, Canada", "incident_date": "2016", "location": "Georgian Bay, Ontario, Canada", "people": "A woman", "navigation": "Car's GPS", "outcome": "Drove straight into the bay; was not injured", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://ibtimes.co.uk/gps-mistakenly-leads-another-driver-water-hawaii-1716425", "title": "GPS mistakenly leads another driver into the water in Hawaii" }, { "incident_key": "2016-02-27 | east end of Bloody Basin Road, near Sheeps Bridge, near Verde River, Arizona", "incident_date": "2016-02-27", "location": "east end of Bloody Basin Road, near Sheeps Bridge, near Verde River, Arizona", "people": "68-year-old wife of a Mesa resident", "navigation": "phone application to track the OnStar service; GPS directions indicated she was on a country road heading towards pavement but she actually was driving further from civilization", "outcome": "Cadillac Escalade found unoccupied; 68-year-old woman found disoriented with scratches and bruises, transported to a Phoenix area hospital for treatment", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://ycsrt.org/?q=node/678", "title": "Parties became lost/stranded following GPS mapped Directions" }, { "incident_key": "2016-02-27 | near the east end of Bloody Basin Road, near Sheeps Bridge, near the Verde River, Arizona, United States", "incident_date": "2016-02-27", "location": "near the east end of Bloody Basin Road, near Sheeps Bridge, near the Verde River, Arizona, United States", "people": "a 68-year-old woman from Mesa, Arizona", "navigation": "Phone application tracking OnStar service; GPS directions indicated she was on a country road heading towards pavement, but actually she was driving further from civilization", "outcome": "Vehicle found unoccupied and stuck; 68-year-old woman found alive with scratches and bruises, disoriented, and transported by DPS Ranger helicopter to a Phoenix area hospital for treatment", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://sedonaeye.com/gps-directions-strand-desert-travelers", "title": "GPS Directions Strand Desert Travelers" }, { "incident_key": "2016-03-07 | near Alamo Lake, Arizona, United States", "incident_date": "2016-03-07", "location": "near Alamo Lake, Arizona, United States", "people": "a family of four, a male and female adult along with their children, ages 4 and 1\u00bd years", "navigation": "GPS mapping unit led them in the wrong direction and eventually to a point where their vehicle became stranded in a wash", "outcome": "Sedan stuck in a ditch; family of four (two adults, two children ages 4 and 1.5) rescued unharmed and transported out of the wilderness after being found by DPS Ranger Helicopter and ground search crew", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://sedonaeye.com/gps-directions-strand-desert-travelers", "title": "GPS Directions Strand Desert Travelers" }, { "incident_key": "2016-05 | Little Tub Harbor, Lake Huron / Georgian Bay, Ontario, Canada", "incident_date": "2016-05", "location": "Little Tub Harbor, Lake Huron / Georgian Bay, Ontario, Canada", "people": "A 23-year-old Canadian woman", "navigation": "GPS, driving down a boat launch at Little Tub Harbor and plunging into the Great Lake", "outcome": "The car floated long enough for the driver to escape through the window and swim to safety; no injuries, and the driver saved her purse; no police charges.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://hercampus.com/culture/woman-followed-her-gps-lake-she-escaped-badass", "title": "This Woman Followed Her GPS Into a Lake, But She Escaped Like a Badass" }, { "incident_key": "2016-05 | Little Tub Harbour, Lake Huron, Ontario, Canada", "incident_date": "2016-05", "location": "Little Tub Harbour, Lake Huron, Ontario, Canada", "people": "A 23-year-old female driver", "navigation": "GPS which directed her to keep driving", "outcome": "Toyota Yaris sank in a boat launch, but the 23-year-old female driver got out unhurt and swam about 30 meters from the water; the vehicle was later pulled from the water.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://hackread.com/woman-follows-gps-goes-straight-into-lake", "title": "Woman Follows GPS, Goes Straight into Lake" }, { "incident_key": "2016-05-12 | Little Tub Harbour in Tobermory, Bruce Peninsula, Ontario, Canada", "incident_date": "2016-05-12", "location": "Little Tub Harbour in Tobermory, Bruce Peninsula, Ontario, Canada", "people": "a 23-year-old woman", "navigation": "in-car GPS satnav system", "outcome": "car sank completely underwater, woman escaped without any injuries and swam back to shore, 0 killed, 0 injured", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://ibtimes.co.uk/woman-blindly-follows-sat-nav-drives-car-into-lake-1560283", "title": "Woman blindly follows sat nav and drives car into lake" }, { "incident_key": "2016-05-13 | Little Tub Harbour, Tobermory, Bruce Peninsula, Ontario, Canada", "incident_date": "2016-05-13", "location": "Little Tub Harbour, Tobermory, Bruce Peninsula, Ontario, Canada", "people": "A 23-year-old woman from Kitchener, Ontario", "navigation": "GPS steered her into Lake Huron / followed her GPS instructions", "outcome": "Vehicle ended up in the water and was later fished/towed out; the driver escaped with no injuries.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://inquisitr.com/3094690/woman-follows-gps-straight-into-lake-huron-swims-to-safety", "title": "Woman Follows GPS Straight Into Lake Huron, Swims To Safety" }, { "incident_key": "2017 | Anhui, China", "incident_date": "2017", "location": "Anhui, China", "people": "A man", "navigation": "Car's GPS; led him to the river/body of water via a dirt road", "outcome": "Car (white Hyundai) drove into the middle of a river", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://ibtimes.co.uk/gps-mistakenly-leads-another-driver-water-hawaii-1716425", "title": "GPS mistakenly leads another driver into the water in Hawaii" }, { "incident_key": "2017-03-10 | Grand Canyon's South Rim, Arizona, United States", "incident_date": "2017-03-10", "location": "Grand Canyon's South Rim, Arizona, United States", "people": "Amber VanHecke, a 24-year-old Texas student", "navigation": "GPS led her down a road that didn't even exist.", "outcome": "Car ran out of gas, stranded for 5 days, then rescued unharmed.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://elitedaily.com/news/girl-lost-grand-canyon-survival-trick/1835589", "title": "Girl Survived Being Stranded Near Grand Canyon For 5 Days" }, { "incident_key": "2017-06 | Massachusetts, USA", "incident_date": "2017-06", "location": "Massachusetts, USA", "people": "a guy", "navigation": "GPS blamed for directing him into a lake", "outcome": "drove into a lake", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://always-reforming.com/2021/04/23/follow-the-leader", "title": "Follow the Leader?" }, { "incident_key": "2017-09-26 | Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah, United States", "incident_date": "2017-09-26", "location": "Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah, United States", "people": "Helena Byler (78) and Gerald Byler (76), an elderly couple from Houston, Texas", "navigation": "a GPS device that led them astray into the desert and directed them toward the Lake Powell trail rather than Lake Powell itself", "outcome": "Both occupants survived; Helena Byler was rescued after five days by a local resident on the road and taken to Kane County Hospital, while Gerald Byler was found alive after six days by rescue crews in an abandoned trailer and transported to Dixie Regional Medical Center ICU.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://ksl.com/article/news/utah/elderly-couple-survives-6-days-stranded-in-grand-staircase-escalante/46145818", "title": "Elderly couple survives 6 days stranded in Grand Staircase-Escalante" }, { "incident_key": "2018-01 | Lake Champlain, Vermont, USA", "incident_date": "2018-01", "location": "Lake Champlain, Vermont, USA", "people": "three people, including an unnamed driver", "navigation": "Waze app directed the driver to turn onto the boat launch near the Coast Guard station, insisting driving into the lake was the right way to go", "outcome": "car slid 100 feet onto the lake and remained at the bottom before retrieval by divers; 3 people managed to climb out unharmed", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://always-reforming.com/2021/04/23/follow-the-leader", "title": "Follow the Leader?" }, { "incident_key": "2018-01-12 | Lake Champlain, boat launch, Vermont", "incident_date": "2018-01-12", "location": "Lake Champlain, boat launch, Vermont", "people": "The vehicle's owner's friends (driver and two passengers)", "navigation": "Google's Waze GPS app instructed them to drive off of a boat launch and into Lake Champlain.", "outcome": "Jeep sunk in lake for 10 days; all passengers got out safely and were uninjured.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://jalopnik.com/drivers-claim-that-waze-gps-app-instructed-them-to-driv-1822384644", "title": "Drivers Claim That Waze GPS App Instructed Them To Drive Into A Lake" }, { "incident_key": "2018-01-12 | Burlington, Vermont, USA", "incident_date": "2018-01-12", "location": "Burlington, Vermont, USA", "people": "An unnamed male driver and two passengers (friends from out of state)", "navigation": "Waze app, advised to go straight", "outcome": "SUV submerged in icy lake, 3 occupants escaped unharmed", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://dunyanews.tv/en/WeirdNews/424952-take-the-next-u-turn:-us-driver-following-gps-plunges-into-lake", "title": "Take the next U-turn: US driver following GPS plunges into lake" }, { "incident_key": "2018-01-12 | Lake Champlain, Burlington, Vermont, United States", "incident_date": "2018-01-12", "location": "Lake Champlain, Burlington, Vermont, United States", "people": "An unnamed driver and two passengers (friends from out of state driving a borrowed car)", "navigation": "Waze app, instructed the driver to go straight down the boat ramp onto the ice", "outcome": "A Jeep Compass sank into an icy lake with only its rear bumper visible; three occupants escaped unharmed and were later rescued.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://www.ndtv.com/offbeat/us-driver-following-gps-plunges-into-lake-champlain-1804495", "title": "US Driver Following GPS Plunges Into Lake Champlain" }, { "incident_key": "2018-01-12 | Lake Champlain, near a local Coast Guard station, Burlington, Vt., United States", "incident_date": "2018-01-12", "location": "Lake Champlain, near a local Coast Guard station, Burlington, Vt., United States", "people": "three pals from Connecticut borrowing Tara Guertin's Jeep", "navigation": "Google's Waze app, directed the driver right off a boat launch near a local Coast Guard station into Lake Champlain", "outcome": "Jeep sank 100 feet into the water and was submerged for 10 days before being retrieved; driver and passengers were unharmed and able to scramble out of the vehicle", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://newser.com/story/254526/driver-ends-up-in-lake-champlain-after-using-waze.html", "title": "Owner on Jeep Ending Up in Lake: 'I Was Speechless'" }, { "incident_key": "2020-01-06 | Arizona Strip, Mohave County, Arizona, United States", "incident_date": "2020-01-06", "location": "Arizona Strip, Mohave County, Arizona, United States", "people": "A family of five consisting of a father, a teenage son, a mother, and two younger children", "navigation": "smartphone mapping application that mistakenly directed their vehicle onto unpaved backcountry roads along the Arizona Strip", "outcome": "A family of five was rescued after becoming stranded; the father and son walked more than 20 miles to find help while the wife and two younger children sheltered in the vehicle; all survived and were rescued.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://ksl.com/article/46705176/i-dont-know-how-they-did-it-man-son-walk-20-miles-for-help-after-family-is-stranded-by-bad-gps-directions", "title": "\u2018I don\u2019t know how they did it\u2019; Man, son walk 20 miles for help after family is stranded by bad GPS directions" }, { "incident_key": "2020-01-06 | remote location south of St. George, Utah, on the Arizona Strip, Mohave County, Arizona, United States", "incident_date": "2020-01-06", "location": "remote location south of St. George, Utah, on the Arizona Strip, Mohave County, Arizona, United States", "people": "a family of five comprising a father, a teenage son, a mother, and two younger children", "navigation": "smartphone mapping application erroneously routed them onto unpaved backcountry roads on the Arizona Strip", "outcome": "SUV stuck in deep mud, clay and snow; father and teenage son walked 20 miles overnight for help; wife and two younger children sheltered in vehicle; all five rescued without any injuries or loss of life", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://desertusa.com/dusablog/blm-and-nps-rescue-family", "title": "BLM and NPS Rescue Family of Five Stranded after Following GPS" }, { "incident_key": "2020-02-29 | Sharqiyah Sands, Bidiyah, Oman", "incident_date": "2020-02-29", "location": "Sharqiyah Sands, Bidiyah, Oman", "people": "A three-year-old boy and his parents (a foreign family)", "navigation": "GPS installed in the rental four-wheeler; vehicle owner and police used the vehicle's GPS coordinates to guide the rescue.", "outcome": "Rescued safely after seven hours of searching; no food, tents, blankets, or petrol left, with only a little water, but health and child's health stable and good.", "source_count": 2, "url": "https://timesofoman.com/article/85514-good-samaritan-braves-desert-to-rescue-3-year-old-boy-and-parents", "title": "Good Samaritan braves desert to rescue 3-year-old boy and parents" }, { "incident_key": "2020-02-29 | Sharqiyah Sands, Oman", "incident_date": "2020-02-29", "location": "Sharqiyah Sands, Oman", "people": "A three-year-old boy and his parents", "navigation": "installed GPS in all of their four wheelers", "outcome": "Rescued safely after seven hours of searching; no one killed or injured", "source_count": 3, "url": "https://timesofoman.com/article/2830391/Oman/Good-Samaritan-braves-desert-to-rescue-3-year-old-boy-and-parents", "title": "Good Samaritan braves desert to rescue 3-year-old boy and parents" }, { "incident_key": "2022 | Catawba County, North Carolina, US", "incident_date": "2022", "location": "Catawba County, North Carolina, US", "people": "Phil Paxson, a 47-year-old man from the US", "navigation": "GPS device; led him off a washed-away bridge", "outcome": "Drove off a washed-away bridge into a creek; driver killed (lost his life)", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://ibtimes.co.uk/gps-mistakenly-leads-another-driver-water-hawaii-1716425", "title": "GPS mistakenly leads another driver into the water in Hawaii" }, { "incident_key": "2022 | Silver Peak, Nevada, USA", "incident_date": "2022", "location": "Silver Peak, Nevada, USA", "people": "An Indiana man (72-year-old) and his wife/partner road-tripping through Nevada in an RV", "navigation": "GPS led them astray up a mountain where their RV got stuck in the mud.", "outcome": "One 72-year-old man did not survive; a couple went missing for a week after their RV got stuck in the mud.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://fox5vegas.com/2023/12/01/gps-detour-guides-vegas-la-drivers-off-road-deep-into-desert", "title": "GPS detour guides Vegas to LA drivers off road, deep into desert" }, { "incident_key": "2022-01-01 | near the city of Changzhi in Shanxi Province in northern China", "incident_date": "2022-01-01", "location": "near the city of Changzhi in Shanxi Province in northern China", "people": "driver and a passenger", "navigation": "sat nav", "outcome": "Truck hung over the edge of a 330ft cliff and had one wheel slip off, but the driver and passenger escaped safely before rescuers pulled the truck back onto the road.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://newsbreak.com/daily-mail-560402/2478588970003-container-truck-hangs-over-the-edge-of-330ft-cliff-in-nerve-wracking-footage-after-driver-tried-to-reverse-when-satnav-took-him-up-narrow-mountain-road-in-china", "title": "Container truck hangs over the edge of 330ft cliff in nerve-wracking footage after driver tried to reverse when satnav took him up narrow mountain road in China - NewsBreak" }, { "incident_key": "2022-01-01 | Changzhi, Shanxi Province, China", "incident_date": "2022-01-01", "location": "Changzhi, Shanxi Province, China", "people": "A truck driver and a passenger", "navigation": "sat nav device; suggested a shortcut up a narrow mountain pass which was too small for his large truck", "outcome": "Truck dangled over a 330ft cliff, later rescued using three heavy dumper trucks and pulled back onto the road; driver and passenger unharmed after escaping from the cab", "source_count": 2, "url": "https://dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10374979/Chinese-truck-dangles-edge-cliff-getting-lost-sat-nav.html", "title": "Chinese truck dangles over the edge of a cliff after getting lost on sat nav" }, { "incident_key": "2022-01-01 | Changzhi City, Northern China", "incident_date": "2022-01-01", "location": "Changzhi City, Northern China", "people": "A truck driver referred to as Mr. Wu from Northern China", "navigation": "GPS, which took him up on a narrow mountain road", "outcome": "Truck dangled 330 ft (100 m) off a cliff, blocked highway passage for three days, but driver managed to flee from the cabin with no casualties.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://autoevolution.com/news/truck-dangles-off-cliff-330-ft-after-gps-takes-it-up-mountain-road-178586.html", "title": "Truck Dangles Off Cliff 330 Ft After GPS Takes It up Mountain Road" }, { "incident_key": "2022-03-27 | remote corner of Nevada, United States", "incident_date": "2022-03-27", "location": "remote corner of Nevada, United States", "people": "Ronnie and Beverly Barker", "navigation": "GPS routed them off the highway onto a remote county road", "outcome": "One person (Ronnie Barker) died; one person (Beverly Barker) was rescued after nine days", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/9-days-stranded-in-the-nevada-wilderness-the-wrong/id1554535518?i=1000771671941&l=ar", "title": "9 Days Stranded in the Nevada Wilderness; The Wrong Turn That Took a Life" }, { "incident_key": "2022-03-27 | Nevada wilderness, Esmeralda County, Nevada, United States", "incident_date": "2022-03-27", "location": "Nevada wilderness, Esmeralda County, Nevada, United States", "people": "Ronnie and Beverly Barker", "navigation": "GPS device, highway option not selected, routed through county roads", "outcome": "RV and Kia stuck in remote desert terrain; Ronnie Barker died after nine days, Beverly Barker survived and was rescued.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://podscan.fm/podcasts/the-crux-true-survival-stories/episodes/9-days-stranded-in-the-nevada-wilderness-the-wrong-turn-that-took-a-life-e-240", "title": "9 Days Stranded in the Nevada Wilderness; The Wrong Turn That Took a Life | E 240 - The CRUX: True Survival Stories - Podcast Episode - Podscan.fm" }, { "incident_key": "2022-03-27 | Esmeralda County, Nevada, USA", "incident_date": "2022-03-27", "location": "Esmeralda County, Nevada, USA", "people": "Ronnie and Beverly Barker", "navigation": "GPS routed them off the highway onto a remote county road.", "outcome": "Ronnie Barker deceased, Beverly Barker rescued after surviving in car for 7 days.", "source_count": 2, "url": "https://getpodcast.com/podcast/the-crux4/9-days-stranded-in-the-nevada-wilderness-the-wrong-turn-that-took-a-li_897ed58935", "title": "9 Days Stranded in the Nevada Wilderness; The Wrong Turn That Took a Life" }, { "incident_key": "2022-03-27 | Silver Peak area of Esmeralda County, Nevada, USA", "incident_date": "2022-03-27", "location": "Silver Peak area of Esmeralda County, Nevada, USA", "people": "Ronnie Barker (72) and his wife Beverly Barker (69)", "navigation": "GPS, following GPS up a mountain", "outcome": "One man (Ronnie Barker) died, one woman (Beverly Barker) was rescued and airlifted to a hospital", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://the-sun.com/news/5072422/couple-vanished-desert-final-coded-message", "title": "Elderly couple who vanished in desert sent desperate final coded message to loved ones before husband, 72, died" }, { "incident_key": "2022-03-27 | Nevada desert, near Red Mountain in the Silver Peak range north of Death Valley, Nevada, USA", "incident_date": "2022-03-27", "location": "Nevada desert, near Red Mountain in the Silver Peak range north of Death Valley, Nevada, USA", "people": "Beverly Barker (69-year-old) and her 72-year-old husband, Ronnie", "navigation": "GPS directed them to a small road heading into the desert south of Coaldale, at the intersection of highways 6 and 95", "outcome": "Husband died of dehydration on April 4; wife Beverly Barker was rescued on Tuesday, April 5, and taken to Reno for medical treatment.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://eastbaytimes.com/2022/04/07/survivor-tells-how-road-trip-went-wrong-in-desert-north-of-death-valley", "title": "Survivor tells how road trip went wrong in desert north of Death Valley" }, { "incident_key": "2022-03-27 | Nevada (remote county road, over 7,700 feet elevation)", "incident_date": "2022-03-27", "location": "Nevada (remote county road, over 7,700 feet elevation)", "people": "Ronnie and Beverly Barker", "navigation": "GPS routed them off the highway onto a remote county road", "outcome": "RV and escape vehicle stuck in gravel and sand, no cell signal or supplies, Ronnie Barker deceased after seven days (or nine days of survival), Beverly Barker rescued", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/9-days-stranded-in-the-nevada-wilderness-the-wrong/id1554535518?i=1000771671941&l=vi", "title": "9 Days Stranded in the Nevada Wilderness; The Wrong Turn That Took a Life" }, { "incident_key": "2022-03-27 | Nevada desert, south of Coaldale, near Red Mountain in the Silver Peak range, Nevada, USA", "incident_date": "2022-03-27", "location": "Nevada desert, south of Coaldale, near Red Mountain in the Silver Peak range, Nevada, USA", "people": "Beverly Barker (69) and her husband Ronnie Barker (72)", "navigation": "GPS directed them to a small road heading into the desert", "outcome": "Husband died, wife rescued after being stranded for a week", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://mercurynews.com/2022/04/07/survivor-tells-how-road-trip-went-wrong-in-desert-north-of-death-valley", "title": "Survivor tells how road trip went wrong in desert north of Death Valley" }, { "incident_key": "2022-03-28 | desert hills of Nevada, United States", "incident_date": "2022-03-28", "location": "desert hills of Nevada, United States", "people": "Ronnie and Bev Barker", "navigation": "motorhome's GPS with a setting allowing for off-highway direction", "outcome": "motorhome and toad car stranded in sand; Ronnie Barker died; Bev Barker was rescued and airlifted to a Reno hospital", "source_count": 1, "url": "http://rvingwithrex.com/2023/02/12/death-by-gps", "title": "Death by GPS" }, { "incident_key": "2022-03-28 | Nevada's high desert, mountain west of Silver Peak, Nevada, USA", "incident_date": "2022-03-28", "location": "Nevada's high desert, mountain west of Silver Peak, Nevada, USA", "people": "Ronnie and Beverly Barker, 72 and 69 respectively, residents of Indiana", "navigation": "GPS with \"avoid highway\" setting selected, which pointed them to a county road", "outcome": "One killed (Ronnie Barker passed away on April 4), one survived and was rescued by a search team after a week", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://rvlifestyle.com/not-trust-gps", "title": "Why We Should Not Trust GPS Completely | RV Lifestyle" }, { "incident_key": "2022-04-06 | desert hills of Nevada, Coaldale, Nevada, U.S. Highway 95", "incident_date": "2022-04-06", "location": "desert hills of Nevada, Coaldale, Nevada, U.S. Highway 95", "people": "Ronnie and Bev Barker, an Indiana couple", "navigation": "motorhome\u2019s GPS, which allowed for off-highway direction", "outcome": "Ronnie Barker passed away due to dehydration; Bev Barker was rescued, airlifted to a Reno hospital, and physically recovered; motorhome and toad car stranded in sand", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://rvingwithrex.com/2023/02/12/death-by-gps", "title": "Death by GPS" }, { "incident_key": "2022-08-07 | Tibooburra, New South Wales, Australia", "incident_date": "2022-08-07", "location": "Tibooburra, New South Wales, Australia", "people": "Darian Aspinall, 27, her two young children aged two and four, and their grandmother Lead Gooding, 50", "navigation": "Google Maps, led them astray causing them to deviate off track", "outcome": "Vehicle located off-track with all four occupants located safe and well inside the vehicle after two days", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://meaww.com/family-of-four-who-went-missing-after-getting-diverted-by-gps-found-after-2-days-deserted-location", "title": "Family of four who went missing after getting diverted by GPS found after 2 days deserted location" }, { "incident_key": "2022-09 | a defunct bridge that dropped off into a creek, North Carolina, United States", "incident_date": "2022-09", "location": "a defunct bridge that dropped off into a creek, North Carolina, United States", "people": "a North Carolina man", "navigation": "GPS led him to a defunct bridge that dropped off into a creek", "outcome": "a North Carolina man died", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://handwiki.org/wiki/Engineering:Death_by_GPS", "title": "Engineering:Death by GPS - HandWiki" }, { "incident_key": "2022-09 | a defunct bridge dropping off into a creek, North Carolina, United States", "incident_date": "2022-09", "location": "a defunct bridge dropping off into a creek, North Carolina, United States", "people": "a North Carolina man", "navigation": "GPS led him to a defunct bridge that dropped off into a creek", "outcome": "one man killed", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://everything.explained.today/Death_by_GPS", "title": "Death by GPS explained" }, { "incident_key": "2022-09 | collapsed bridge in Hickory, North Carolina, United States", "incident_date": "2022-09", "location": "collapsed bridge in Hickory, North Carolina, United States", "people": "Philip Paxson, a 45-year-old father of two", "navigation": "Google Maps directions that routed him across the site as if it were intact", "outcome": "Philip Paxson drowned (1 killed)", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://grokipedia.com/page/Death_by_GPS", "title": "Death by GPS" }, { "incident_key": "2022-09 | North Carolina", "incident_date": "2022-09", "location": "North Carolina", "people": "Philip Paxson", "navigation": "Google Maps navigation over an inoperative bridge", "outcome": "Driver killed when vehicle dropped into water", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://foxnews.com/media/doordasher-delivering-dunkin-drives-water-allegedly-following-gps-charges-filed", "title": "DoorDasher delivering Dunkin' drives into water after allegedly following GPS, charges filed" }, { "incident_key": "2022-09 | Hickory, North Carolina, USA", "incident_date": "2022-09", "location": "Hickory, North Carolina, USA", "people": "Phil Paxson, and his wife Alicia Paxson and two daughters ages 7 and 9", "navigation": "Google Maps, failed to update its navigation system regarding a collapsed bridge", "outcome": "One man killed", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://studycountry.com/wiki/who-was-the-family-of-man-who-died-after-gps", "title": "Who was the family of man who died after GPS?" }, { "incident_key": "2022-09 | North Carolina, United States", "incident_date": "2022-09", "location": "North Carolina, United States", "people": "47-year-old Philip Paxson, a father of two daughters", "navigation": "GPS platform, unspecified brand/app, directed the driver down a road to a bridge that had been washed out.", "outcome": "Driver Philip Paxson was killed after driving his 2020 Jeep Gladiator into the river.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://phonearena.com/news/driver-follows-gps-to-his-death_id142999", "title": "GPS platform and other factors lead a driver to his death" }, { "incident_key": "2022-09 | river below a broken bridge", "incident_date": "2022-09", "location": "river below a broken bridge", "people": "Philip John Paxson", "navigation": "Google Maps, which did not indicate that the bridge was no longer useable", "outcome": "1 killed", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://indiatimes.com/news/india/what-is-death-by-gps-how-technology-is-killing-people-616526.html", "title": "What Is 'Death By GPS'? How Technology Is Killing People?" }, { "incident_key": "2022-09-20 | North Carolina", "incident_date": "2022-09-20", "location": "North Carolina", "people": "Phil Paxson", "navigation": "GPS system, which took him onto a washed-out bridge, did not contain up-to-date maps", "outcome": "vehicle dropped into a river, killed", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37169468", "title": "The final destination: Incorporating 'Death by GPS' into forensic and legal sciences" }, { "incident_key": "2022-09-20 | North Carolina, USA", "incident_date": "2022-09-20", "location": "North Carolina, USA", "people": "Phil Paxson", "navigation": "GPS system, which took him onto a washed-out bridge with out-of-date maps", "outcome": "killed when his vehicle dropped into a river", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S135503062300028X", "title": "The final destination: Incorporating 'Death by GPS' into forensic and legal sciences" }, { "incident_key": "2022-09-20 | river, North Carolina", "incident_date": "2022-09-20", "location": "river, North Carolina", "people": "Phil Paxson of North Carolina", "navigation": "GPS system, which took him onto a washed-out bridge", "outcome": "killed when his vehicle dropped into a river", "source_count": 1, "url": "doi://10.1016/j.scijus.2023.04.005", "title": "The final destination: Incorporating 'Death by GPS' into forensic and legal sciences" }, { "incident_key": "2022-09-30 | Hickory, Catawba County, North Carolina, near 24th Street Place Northeast", "incident_date": "2022-09-30", "location": "Hickory, Catawba County, North Carolina, near 24th Street Place Northeast", "people": "Phillip Paxson, a 47-year-old father of two girls", "navigation": "GPS led him to a bridge that has been inoperative since heavy flooding in July 2013 destroyed it", "outcome": "1 person killed (Phillip Paxson), vehicle overturned in a creek", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://rvingwithrex.com/2023/02/12/death-by-gps", "title": "Death by GPS" }, { "incident_key": "2022-09-30 | North Carolina, United States", "incident_date": "2022-09-30", "location": "North Carolina, United States", "people": "Philip Paxson (47-year-old man)", "navigation": "Google Maps led him below a collapsed bridge, leading him down a concrete road to a bridge that dropped off into a river because the system hadn't been properly updated and omitted the collapsed bridge.", "outcome": "Philip Paxson died after his pickup truck crashed into a creek and got stuck inside his vehicle.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://screenshot-media.com/technology/apps/family-sue-google-maps-death", "title": "Family of man who died because of Google Maps sues tech giant" }, { "incident_key": "2022-09-30 | Snow Creek Bridge, Hickory, North Carolina, USA", "incident_date": "2022-09-30", "location": "Snow Creek Bridge, Hickory, North Carolina, USA", "people": "47-year-old Philip Paxson", "navigation": "Google Maps directed him along a route that crossed a collapsed bridge.", "outcome": "Driver died of drowning after his Jeep Gladiator landed upside down in the water.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://igvofficial.com/news/sues-google-maps-dad-dies-collapsed-bridge-north-carolina", "title": "Google Maps Sued After Dad Died Driving Off Collapsed Bridge On Way Home From Daughter\u2019s Birthday Party" }, { "incident_key": "2023 | desert outside of Jean, NV, USA", "incident_date": "2023", "location": "desert outside of Jean, NV, USA", "people": "Shelby Easler of Santa Monica, California, along with her brother, boyfriend, and another friend", "navigation": "Google Maps told them a detour off the closed interstate around a dust storm would save them 50 minutes, leading them off-road deep into the desert.", "outcome": "A 14-hour ordeal; $5,000 in damage to the vehicle, car literally falling apart, towed back to Vegas; occupants unharmed and rescued.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://fox5vegas.com/2023/12/01/gps-detour-guides-vegas-la-drivers-off-road-deep-into-desert", "title": "GPS detour guides Vegas to LA drivers off road, deep into desert" }, { "incident_key": "2023 | Port Soderick, on the Isle of Man", "incident_date": "2023", "location": "Port Soderick, on the Isle of Man", "people": "a motorist / a woman", "navigation": "GPS link implicitly noted through the context of GPS-related compilation, though specific sat-nav text is not directly restated in the sentence for this secondary case beyond mirroring the category", "outcome": "motorist miraculously escaped with minor injuries after the car she was driving plunged off a cliff", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15224329/amp/Tourist-ends-teetering-edge-cliff-Porsche-following-GPS-shortcut-Italian-farm.html", "title": "Tourist ends up teetering on the edge of a cliff in his Porsche after following GPS 'shortcut' through Italian farm" }, { "incident_key": "2023 | Honokohau Harbor, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, United States", "incident_date": "2023", "location": "Honokohau Harbor, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, United States", "people": "Two tourists, including a female driver and her sister as passenger", "navigation": "GPS directions; took a wrong turn straight into the sea/harbor.", "outcome": "Silver Chrysler Town & Country van quickly sank into the harbor; 2 women escaped unharmed and were helped by sailboat crew members.", "source_count": 2, "url": "https://dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13866319/couple-rescued-gps-water-south-carolina-restaurant-staff.html", "title": "Couple accidentally drive into water and have to be rescued by South Carolina restaurant staff after following wrong GPS directions" }, { "incident_key": "2023 | Honokohau Small Boat Harbor in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, United States", "incident_date": "2023", "location": "Honokohau Small Boat Harbor in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, United States", "people": "Two women, believed to be sisters and tourists, who were driving a Dodge Caravan.", "navigation": "GPS directions led the tourists to drive straight into the harbor.", "outcome": "A Dodge Caravan sank into the harbor. Two tourists escaped unharmed and were rescued or helped out of the water by bystanders.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://businessinsider.com/tourists-hawaii-gps-drove-car-into-water-2023-5", "title": "Tourists in Hawaii followed the GPS and drove their car into water" }, { "incident_key": "2023 | North Carolina, United States", "incident_date": "2023", "location": "North Carolina, United States", "people": "A North Carolina man", "navigation": "Google Maps route led him towards a broken bridge hovering over a river that had collapsed nearly ten years prior.", "outcome": "Driver drowned (1 person killed)", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://www.popsci.com/technology/google-maps-australia-tourists-stranded/", "title": "Tourists say they got stranded in the Australian wilderness after following faulty Google Maps route" }, { "incident_key": "2023-04-29 | Honok\u014dhau Harbor in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii", "incident_date": "2023-04-29", "location": "Honok\u014dhau Harbor in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii", "people": "Resident Christie Hutchinson and her husband", "navigation": "GPS route, followed word for word", "outcome": "Vehicle completely submerged within five minutes; occupants narrowly escaped through windows with help from bystanders; unharmed/rescued.", "source_count": 2, "url": "https://autopostglobal.com/latest-scoops/photo-report/article/71024", "title": "GPS Gets You Driving Blindly! 5 Dumb Accidents Why You Should Stop Depending on" }, { "incident_key": "2023-04-29 | Honokohau Harbor, Kailua Kona, Big Island, Hawaii, USA", "incident_date": "2023-04-29", "location": "Honokohau Harbor, Kailua Kona, Big Island, Hawaii, USA", "people": "A tourist couple / two ladies in search of a manta ray snorkel tour", "navigation": "GPS directions, wrong turn leading down a boat ramp into the water", "outcome": "A Dodge Caravan sank into deeper water and was rescued; the tourists (two women) were rescued by a sailboat crew and were unharmed.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://timesnownews.com/viral/hawaii-tourists-drive-car-straight-into-harbour-after-following-gps-article-100046159", "title": "Viral Video: Hawaii Tourists Drive Car Straight into Harbour After Following GPS" }, { "incident_key": "2023-04-29 | Honokohau Small Boat Harbor in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii", "incident_date": "2023-04-29", "location": "Honokohau Small Boat Harbor in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii", "people": "Two women (a driver and her passenger sister) in a silver Chrysler Town & Country van", "navigation": "GPS directions while trying to find a Manta Ray Snorkel tour company", "outcome": "Van sank into the harbor; two occupants rescued safely by a sailboat crew", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://dailymail.com/news/article-12152743/I-thought-puddle-Tourist-drives-car-Hawaii-harbor-following-GPS.html", "title": "'I thought it was a puddle': Tourist drives her car into Hawaii harbor while following her GPS" }, { "incident_key": "2023-05 | Honokohau Small Boat Harbor, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii\u2019s Big Island, Hawaii, USA", "incident_date": "2023-05", "location": "Honokohau Small Boat Harbor, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii\u2019s Big Island, Hawaii, USA", "people": "Two tourists (one female driver and one passenger)", "navigation": "Following GPS directions", "outcome": "SUV sank and had to be pulled out of the water by a tow crew; passenger climbed out open window and swam to safety; driver was pulled out of the SUV by a sailboat crew and carried up the boat ramp; everyone is okay with no reported fatalities.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://k1047.com/2023/05/05/tourists-rental-car-water-the-office", "title": "Tourists Drive Rental Car Into Water Just Like That Scene On \u2018The Office\u2019" }, { "incident_key": "2023-05 | Honokohau Harbour, Hawaii, USA", "incident_date": "2023-05", "location": "Honokohau Harbour, Hawaii, USA", "people": "Another group of tourists; two tourists on their way to a manta ray tour", "navigation": "GPS directions", "outcome": "Rescued from the harbor; none of the tourists sustained any injuries", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://ibtimes.co.uk/gps-mistakenly-leads-another-driver-water-hawaii-1716425", "title": "GPS mistakenly leads another driver into the water in Hawaii" }, { "incident_key": "2023-05 | Honokohau Small Boat Harbor in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, US", "incident_date": "2023-05", "location": "Honokohau Small Boat Harbor in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, US", "people": "a pair of tourists (two women, believed to be sisters)", "navigation": "wrong GPS route / GPS directions", "outcome": "Dodge Caravan sank into the harbor; two occupants unbuckled and escaped, no one was hurt", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://news.yahoo.com/tourists-hawaii-followed-gps-drove-082142329.html", "title": "Tourists in Hawaii followed their GPS and drove their car straight into a harbor: 'Pretty sure that was not supposed to happen'" }, { "incident_key": "2023-05-29 | Honokohau Small Boat Harbor in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii", "incident_date": "2023-05-29", "location": "Honokohau Small Boat Harbor in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii", "people": "A female tourist driving a 2020 Ford Edge", "navigation": "GPS directions without realizing it was leading her down a boat ramp", "outcome": "Car sank halfway under; driver rescued unharmed by Good Samaritans onto their boat", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://dailymail.com/news/article-12152743/I-thought-puddle-Tourist-drives-car-Hawaii-harbor-following-GPS.html", "title": "'I thought it was a puddle': Tourist drives her car into Hawaii harbor while following her GPS" }, { "incident_key": "2023-05-29 | Honok\u014dhau Harbor in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii", "incident_date": "2023-05-29", "location": "Honok\u014dhau Harbor in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii", "people": "A tourist", "navigation": "GPS directions, mistaking the ocean for a large puddle in the darkness", "outcome": "Vehicle began to sink; driver got out safely with the help of a flotation device thrown by a witness; unharmed/rescued.", "source_count": 2, "url": "https://autopostglobal.com/latest-scoops/photo-report/article/71024", "title": "GPS Gets You Driving Blindly! 5 Dumb Accidents Why You Should Stop Depending on" }, { "incident_key": "2023-05-29 | Honokohau Harbour, Hawaii, USA", "incident_date": "2023-05-29", "location": "Honokohau Harbour, Hawaii, USA", "people": "A woman", "navigation": "GPS; led her down a boat ramp instead of taking her to her location", "outcome": "Vehicle entered the water; woman escaped without injuries; vehicle was pulled out later", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://ibtimes.co.uk/gps-mistakenly-leads-another-driver-water-hawaii-1716425", "title": "GPS mistakenly leads another driver into the water in Hawaii" }, { "incident_key": "2023-07-04 | Death Valley National Park, California, USA", "incident_date": "2023-07-04", "location": "Death Valley National Park, California, USA", "people": "Two men", "navigation": "GPS; followed GPS and made a wrong turn onto West Side Road", "outcome": "Vehicle got stuck on a salt flat and was later removed by a towing company using a skid steer machine; two men survived, one of whom showed signs of a heat-related illness and was taken to a hospital in Pahrump, Nevada.", "source_count": 4, "url": "https://ledger-enquirer.com/news/nation-world/national/article277870248.html", "title": "Tourists get lost following GPS in Death Valley \u2014 then try to drive through salt flat" }, { "incident_key": "2023-07-04 | Death Valley National Park, California, US", "incident_date": "2023-07-04", "location": "Death Valley National Park, California, US", "people": "Two men", "navigation": "GPS; took a wrong turn and tried to drive straight across the salt flat", "outcome": "The car became stuck in the salt flat/mud for three weeks until removed with a skid-steer loader. One man was picked up by a visiting family and taken to Furnace Creek; the second man was found suffering heat illness and taken to hospital for treatment.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://inkl.com/news/car-stuck-in-death-valley-salt-flat-for-three-weeks-after-driver-follows-gps-off-road", "title": "Car stuck in Death Valley salt flat for three weeks after driver follows GPS off-road" }, { "incident_key": "2023-07-04 | Death Valley National Park, California, United States", "incident_date": "2023-07-04", "location": "Death Valley National Park, California, United States", "people": "Two men", "navigation": "GPS made a wrong turn in a California park and tried to drive through salt flats while lost", "outcome": "Vehicle got stuck in salt flats, two men walked for miles; one man picked up by park visitors and the second man showed signs of a heat-related illness and was taken to a hospital in Pahrump, Nevada", "source_count": 5, "url": "https://yahoo.com/lifestyle/tourists-lost-following-gps-death-165306327.html", "title": "Tourists get lost following GPS in Death Valley \u2014 then try to drive through salt flat" }, { "incident_key": "2023-09 | Middleton, Massachusetts", "incident_date": "2023-09", "location": "Middleton, Massachusetts", "people": "Unidentified female DoorDash driver", "navigation": "GPS led her down a dirt road", "outcome": "Vehicle partially submerged in swamp, driver uninjured and able to leave the vehicle to walk to a nearby home, transported to a hospital at her request, towed from the scene with no leakage", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://foxnews.com/media/doordasher-delivering-dunkin-drives-water-allegedly-following-gps-charges-filed", "title": "DoorDasher delivering Dunkin' drives into water after allegedly following GPS, charges filed" }, { "incident_key": "2023-10 | Periyab River, Kerala, India", "incident_date": "2023-10", "location": "Periyab River, Kerala, India", "people": "A pair of doctors in India", "navigation": "Google Maps route directed them into the river during a heavy monsoon.", "outcome": "Drowned (2 people killed)", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://www.popsci.com/technology/google-maps-australia-tourists-stranded/", "title": "Tourists say they got stranded in the Australian wilderness after following faulty Google Maps route" }, { "incident_key": "2023-11-19 | California desert, near Interstate 15 and Sandy Valley", "incident_date": "2023-11-19", "location": "California desert, near Interstate 15 and Sandy Valley", "people": "Shelby Easler and her family", "navigation": "Google Maps, directed them onto an off-road trail leading deeper into the desert as an alternate route", "outcome": "Car ruined with a damaged alignment and a rear, right tire coming off, towed to a dealership service center; occupants got lost and stranded in the desert before getting a tow truck in the late afternoon", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://jalopnik.com/sheeple-blindly-follow-google-maps-into-desert-road-nig-1851055097", "title": "Sheeple Blindly Follow Google Maps Into Desert Road Nightmare (Update)" }, { "incident_key": "2023-11-19 | California desert, USA", "incident_date": "2023-11-19", "location": "California desert, USA", "people": "Shelby Easler and her family", "navigation": "Google Maps, alternative route suggestion directing them onto a rough dirt trail", "outcome": "Vehicle stranded for hours, significant tire and body damage to Easler's brother's car requiring costly repairs; occupants unharmed and rescued", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/google-maps-misstep-vegas-to-la-detour-turns-into-desert-odyssey-for-drivers/printarticle/105565103.cms", "title": "Google Maps misstep: Vegas-to-LA detour turns into desert odyssey for drivers!" }, { "incident_key": "2023-11-19 | I-15 near California-Nevada border", "incident_date": "2023-11-19", "location": "I-15 near California-Nevada border", "people": "Drivers attempting to navigate from Vegas to LA", "navigation": "Google Maps tried to guide people around a dust storm that closed I-15 on November 19, by sending them down a narrow bumpy dirt trail through the desert", "outcome": "Nobody died; huge traffic backup on the narrow desert trail, turning un-navigable to many or most highway vehicles", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://priuschat.com/threads/death-by-gps.89669/page-3", "title": "Death by GPS." }, { "incident_key": "2024 | Badaun district, Uttar Pradesh, India", "incident_date": "2024", "location": "Badaun district, Uttar Pradesh, India", "people": "three passengers", "navigation": "GPS navigation / GPS directions", "outcome": "Three passengers died after their vehicle fell into a river.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://wakeup.sg/navigation-mishap-audi-india", "title": "Navigation App in Spotlight After Car Falls Into Ditch in India" }, { "incident_key": "2024 | Rub' al Khali desert, Saudi Arabia", "incident_date": "2024", "location": "Rub' al Khali desert, Saudi Arabia", "people": "A 27-year-old Indian man named Mohammad Shehzad Khan and his Sudanese colleague", "navigation": "Lost GPS signal / mobile phone battery drained", "outcome": "Two men died", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://newsbytesapp.com/news/india/telangana-man-colleague-die-in-saudi-arabia-desert/story", "title": "Telangana man die in Saudi desert after losing GPS signal" }, { "incident_key": "2024 | Al Hasa region, Saudi Arabia", "incident_date": "2024", "location": "Al Hasa region, Saudi Arabia", "people": "Shezad Khan and his colleague", "navigation": "GPS device malfunction", "outcome": "Driver and colleague died", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://indiatoday.in/lifestyle/travel/story/rub-al-khali-saudi-arabia-desert-killed-telangana-man-2588127-2024-08-27", "title": "What lies in Rub al-Khali, world's most dangerous desert, that swallowed up Telangana man" }, { "incident_key": "2024 | Rub\u2019 al Khali desert, Saudi Arabia", "incident_date": "2024", "location": "Rub\u2019 al Khali desert, Saudi Arabia", "people": "A 27-year-old man from Telangana (Mohammad Shehzad Khan) and a Sudanese national", "navigation": "GPS signal failed", "outcome": "Driver and passenger died of severe dehydration and exhaustion after their vehicle ran out of fuel.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://afternoontimes.in/india/telangana-man-colleague-die-in-saudi-arabia-desert-after-losing-gps-signal", "title": "Telangana Man, Colleague Die In Saudi Arabia Desert After Losing GPS Signal" }, { "incident_key": "2024-04 | Osoyoos Marina, British Columbia, Canada", "incident_date": "2024-04", "location": "Osoyoos Marina, British Columbia, Canada", "people": "A 54-year-old male driver from Surrey", "navigation": "GPS guidance inadvertently took him down the boat ramp", "outcome": "Semi-truck partially submerged; 54-year-old male driver trapped in the cab but uninjured and rescued by local fire crews", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bc-man-follows-gps-stuck-in-marina", "title": "Surrey semi-truck driver follows GPS off boat launch and ends up in the water" }, { "incident_key": "2024-04-27 | Osoyoos, British Columbia, Canada", "incident_date": "2024-04-27", "location": "Osoyoos, British Columbia, Canada", "people": "54 year old male truck driver", "navigation": "GPS guidance which inadvertently took him down the boat ramp", "outcome": "Semi truck partially submerged in a lake; driver not injured and rescued", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://cdllife.com/2024/big-rig-goes-into-lake-after-driver-followed-his-gps-down-boat-launch", "title": "Big rig goes into lake after driver followed his GPS down boat launch" }, { "incident_key": "2024-08 | Rub' al Khali desert, Saudi Arabia", "incident_date": "2024-08", "location": "Rub' al Khali desert, Saudi Arabia", "people": "Mohammed Shehzad Khan and his Sudanese colleague", "navigation": "GPS stopped working and lost signal, leading them to lose their way in the desert", "outcome": "2 killed (Mohammed Shehzad Khan and his Sudanese colleague died of dehydration and exhaustion)", "source_count": 3, "url": "https://hindustantimes.com/india-news/telangana-man-colleague-die-after-losing-gps-signal-in-saudi-arabias-desert-101724563577998.html", "title": "Telangana man, colleague die after losing GPS signal in Saudi Arabia's desert | India News" }, { "incident_key": "2024-08 | Rub\u2019 al Khali desert, Saudi Arabia", "incident_date": "2024-08", "location": "Rub\u2019 al Khali desert, Saudi Arabia", "people": "A 27-year-old man from Telangana (Mohammad Shehzad Khan) and his Sudanese colleague", "navigation": "GPS signal failed", "outcome": "Two men died due to acute dehydration and exhaustion.", "source_count": 2, "url": "https://theindianeye.com/2024/08/29/telangana-man-dies-in-empty-quarter-desert-after-gps-failure-and-running-out-of-fuel", "title": "Telangana man dies in \u201cEmpty Quarter\u201d desert after GPS failure and running out of Fuel" }, { "incident_key": "2024-08 | Rub' al Khali desert, Al Hasa region, Saudi Arabia", "incident_date": "2024-08", "location": "Rub' al Khali desert, Al Hasa region, Saudi Arabia", "people": "Shahbaz Khan, a 27-year-old man from Telangana, and his coworker", "navigation": "GPS malfunction/error leading them deep into the desert without the GPS device", "outcome": "Vehicle ran out of fuel; two men died due to starvation and dehydration.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://news18.com/world/telangana-man-gets-stranded-in-saudi-arabian-desert-after-gps-error-dies-due-to-dehydration-9028697.html", "title": "Telangana Man Gets Stranded In Saudi Arabian Desert After GPS Error, Dies Due To Dehydration" }, { "incident_key": "2024-08-19 | Rub' al Khali desert, Saudi Arabia", "incident_date": "2024-08-19", "location": "Rub' al Khali desert, Saudi Arabia", "people": "A 27-year-old man from Telangana (Mohammad Shehzad Khan) and his Sudanese colleague", "navigation": "GPS signal failed", "outcome": "2 died from dehydration", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://cssm.etimg.com/news/international/saudi-arabia/telangana-man-and-colleague-die-in-saudi-arabia-desert-after-running-out-of-fuel-and-mobile-battery/articleshow/112800111.cms", "title": "Telangana man and colleague die in Saudi Arabia desert after running out of fuel and mobile battery" }, { "incident_key": "2024-08-19 to 2024-08-21 | Rub' al Khali desert, Saudi Arabia", "incident_date": "2024-08-19 to 2024-08-21", "location": "Rub' al Khali desert, Saudi Arabia", "people": "Mohammad Shehzad Khan, from Telangana, and his Sudanese colleague", "navigation": "lost GPS signal, followed by mobile phones with no battery and vehicle running out of fuel", "outcome": "two died", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://ndtv.com/world-news/all-about-the-rub-al-khali-desert-where-a-telangana-man-died-6427681", "title": "All About The Rub al-Khali Desert Where A Telangana Man Died" }, { "incident_key": "2024-08-22 | Rub\u2019 al Khali desert, Saudi Arabia", "incident_date": "2024-08-22", "location": "Rub\u2019 al Khali desert, Saudi Arabia", "people": "Mohammad Shehzad Khan and his unnamed Sudanese colleague", "navigation": "GPS signal went off and phone died", "outcome": "Two men died from exhaustion and dehydration; vehicle ran out of fuel and was buried under sand dunes", "source_count": 4, "url": "https://the-independent.com/news/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-rub-al-khali-desert-b2601566.html", "title": "Two men die in Saudi Arabian desert\u2019s perilous Empty Quarter after losing GPS signal" }, { "incident_key": "2024-08-22 | Rub\u2019 al Khali desert, Al Hasa region, Saudi Arabia", "incident_date": "2024-08-22", "location": "Rub\u2019 al Khali desert, Al Hasa region, Saudi Arabia", "people": "Shahbaz Khan, a 27-year-old man from Telangana, and his coworker/colleague", "navigation": "GPS malfunction and GPS error that led them deep into the Rub\u2019 al Khali desert", "outcome": null, "source_count": 1, "url": "https://indiaherald.com/Breaking/Read/994739781/Telangana-Man-Gets-Stranded-In-Saudi-Arabian-Desert-After-GPS-Error", "title": "Telangana Man Gets Stranded In Saudi Arabian Desert After GPS Error" }, { "incident_key": "2024-08-25 | Rub' al Khali desert, Saudi Arabia", "incident_date": "2024-08-25", "location": "Rub' al Khali desert, Saudi Arabia", "people": "27-year-old Mohammad Shehzad Khan from Telangana, Karimnagar, and a Sudanese colleague", "navigation": "GPS connection failed and phone battery died", "outcome": "Driver and colleague died of dehydration and exhaustion; vehicle ran out of fuel.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://ptcnews.tv/world-news/telangana-man-and-colleague-die-in-saudi-arabian-desert-after-losing-gps-signal-4396568", "title": "Telangana man and colleague die in Saudi Arabian desert after losing GPS signal" }, { "incident_key": "2024-09 | Isle of Palms, South Carolina", "incident_date": "2024-09", "location": "Isle of Palms, South Carolina", "people": "A vacationing couple in their 60s", "navigation": "GPS navigation system; blind trust in their GPS navigation system's directions, or confusion regarding it", "outcome": "Vehicle driven off a marina boat dock and into the water below; the couple narrowly escaped tragedy, successfully rescued with no significant injuries or harm suffered.", "source_count": 2, "url": "https://carbuzz.com/fact-or-fiction-have-people-driven-into-lakes-because-of-navigation", "title": "Fact Or Fiction: Have People Driven Into Lakes Because Of Navigation?" }, { "incident_key": "2024-09 | Isle of Palms, South Carolina, United States", "incident_date": "2024-09", "location": "Isle of Palms, South Carolina, United States", "people": "A vacationing couple in their 60s", "navigation": "GPS navigation system; blind trust in navigation system directions or confusion regarding it", "outcome": "Vehicle driven into the water off a marina boat dock; the couple narrowly escaped tragedy, were rescued by a bystander, and suffered no significant injuries or harm", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://carbuzz.com/fact-or-fiction-have-people-driven-into-lakes-because-of-navigation/", "title": "Fact Or Fiction: Have People Driven Into Lakes Because Of Navigation?" }, { "incident_key": "2024-09 | Isle of Palms Marina, Isle of Palms, South Carolina, United States", "incident_date": "2024-09", "location": "Isle of Palms Marina, Isle of Palms, South Carolina, United States", "people": "A 70-year-old man and a woman in her 60s (unidentified couple visiting Isle of Palms, South Carolina)", "navigation": "Navigation system; the vehicle followed wrong GPS directions and hopped on a boat ramp entrance.", "outcome": "SUV plummeted into the water and completely submerged; 2 people rescued safely by restaurant staff, declined medical care, no injuries or environmental impacts reported.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13866319/couple-rescued-gps-water-south-carolina-restaurant-staff.html", "title": "Couple accidentally drive into water and have to be rescued by South Carolina restaurant staff after following wrong GPS directions" }, { "incident_key": "2024-09-14 | Isle of Palms, South Carolina", "incident_date": "2024-09-14", "location": "Isle of Palms, South Carolina", "people": "an out-of-town couple in their 60s", "navigation": "GPS in his vehicle; confused by what the GPS in his vehicle was saying", "outcome": "SUV submerged; couple rescued by restaurant staff unharmed/survived", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://news.yahoo.com/restaurant-staff-rescues-couple-drove-182959232.html", "title": "Restaurant Staff Rescues Couple Who Drove into Water After Getting Confused by GPS Directions" }, { "incident_key": "2024-09-14 | Isle of Palms, South Carolina, USA", "incident_date": "2024-09-14", "location": "Isle of Palms, South Carolina, USA", "people": "An out-of-town couple in their 60s (driver and passenger)", "navigation": "GPS in his vehicle; got confused by what the GPS in his vehicle was saying", "outcome": "Vehicle submerged, two occupants rescued safely by restaurant staff with no reported injuries", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://people.com/restaurant-staff-rescues-couple-who-drove-into-water-after-getting-confused-by-gps-directions-8714662", "title": "Restaurant Staff Rescues Couple Who Drove into Water After Getting Confused by GPS Directions" }, { "incident_key": "2025-07-23 | Kuruppanthara, Kottayam, Kerala, India", "incident_date": "2025-07-23", "location": "Kuruppanthara, Kottayam, Kerala, India", "people": "Josy Joseph (62) and his wife Sheeba (58)", "navigation": "Google Maps, guided them to take a flooded, poorly visible road that led directly toward an overflowing stream.", "outcome": "Electric car partially submerged in a stream; 0 killed, 0 injured, rescued with the help of locals and workers from a nearby timber mill.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://deccanchronicle.com/southern-states/kerala/kottayam-google-maps-error-leads-electric-car-into-stream-couple-narrowly-escapes-1893448", "title": "Kottayam: Google Maps Error Leads Electric Car Into Stream; Couple Narrowly Escapes" }, { "incident_key": "2025-07-25 | Navi Mumbai, near Dhruvatara Jetty, Maharashtra, India", "incident_date": "2025-07-25", "location": "Navi Mumbai, near Dhruvatara Jetty, Maharashtra, India", "people": "A woman", "navigation": "Google Maps incorrectly led her along a route below the bridge that ended at Dhruvatara Jetty instead of directing her onto the Bay Bridge in Belapur", "outcome": "White car plunged into water and was retrieved by crane; driver was rescued unharmed within minutes", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/navi-mumbai-shocker-blind-trust-in-google-maps-sends-woman-plunging-into-waters-cyt97799", "title": "Navi Mumbai shocker: Blind trust in Google Maps sends woman plunging into waters" }, { "incident_key": "2025-07-26 | near Belapur in Navi Mumbai, India", "incident_date": "2025-07-26", "location": "near Belapur in Navi Mumbai, India", "people": "a woman driving solo in an Audi", "navigation": "Google Maps, which allegedly guided her onto an unmapped route beneath the Bay Bridge", "outcome": "The car plunged into water near the Dhruvatara Jetty; the woman was pulled out unharmed using a boat, and a crane was later brought in to retrieve the vehicle.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://wakeup.sg/navigation-mishap-audi-india", "title": "Navigation App in Spotlight After Car Falls Into Ditch in India" }, { "incident_key": "2026 | Lake Champlain, Vermont, USA", "incident_date": "2026", "location": "Lake Champlain, Vermont, USA", "people": "Friends of Tara Guertin", "navigation": "GPS device, followed GPS device when they got lost", "outcome": "SUV sank to the bottom of Lake Champlain, occupants escaped safely, vehicle removed after more than a week", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://theyeshivaworld.com/news/general/1455441/driver-following-gps-plunges-vehicle-into-lake-champlain.html", "title": "Driver Following GPS Plunges Vehicle Into Lake Champlain" }, { "incident_key": "2026-01-06 | Arizona Strip, near St. George, Arizona, USA", "incident_date": "2026-01-06", "location": "Arizona Strip, near St. George, Arizona, USA", "people": "a family of five including a father and son", "navigation": "bad GPS directions", "outcome": null, "source_count": 1, "url": "https://stgeorgeutah.com/news/local/nps-park-ranger-brice-provost-1/image_f1ed0372-5286-5e85-9dad-1abb33f42007.html", "title": "NPS Park Ranger Brice Provost (1)" }, { "incident_key": "2026-02-16 | Foulness Island, UK", "incident_date": "2026-02-16", "location": "Foulness Island, UK", "people": "Unidentified Amazon delivery driver", "navigation": "GPS instructions to drive straight into water", "outcome": "Driver forced to ditch the van before a local farmer helped recover the vehicle; unharmed", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://newsbreak.com/new-york-post-509648/4495488473686-hapless-amazon-delivery-driver-stuck-in-water-after-following-gps", "title": "Hapless Amazon delivery driver stuck in water after following GPS - NewsBreak" }, { "incident_key": "2026-03-10 | desert between Havasu and the southern rim visitor center, Arizona, USA", "incident_date": "2026-03-10", "location": "desert between Havasu and the southern rim visitor center, Arizona, USA", "people": "Amber Vanhecke, 24-year-old college student", "navigation": "web-based GPS; steered her onto a cross-country route and directed her into a turn that put her on a faint, washed-out dirt road", "outcome": "stranded in the desert for five days, rescued by helicopter, unharmed other than blisters and sun exposure", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://explorethecanyon.com/grand-canyon-stranded-desert", "title": "Grand Canyon: Stranded in the Desert" }, { "incident_key": "2026-03-22 | Todmorden, West Yorkshire, UK", "incident_date": "2026-03-22", "location": "Todmorden, West Yorkshire, UK", "people": "Robert Jones, 43, a driver from Doncaster, South Yorkshire", "navigation": "satnav / satnav system, which sent him along a steep, narrow path and told him the footpath he was driving on was a road", "outcome": "BMW car left teetering on the edge of a cliff / nearly plunged down the 100ft cliff; driver Robert Jones was convicted of driving without due care and attention, given a \u00a3370 fine, six penalty points on his driving licence, ordered to pay \u00a3500 costs and a \u00a315 victim surcharge", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://the-independent.com/news/uk/crime/driver-fined-after-satnav-nearly-takes-him-over-cliff-1788899.html", "title": "Driver fined after satnav nearly takes him over cliff | The Independent" }, { "incident_key": "2026-05 | Kuruppanthara area of Kerala, India", "incident_date": "2026-05", "location": "Kuruppanthara area of Kerala, India", "people": "A four-member tourist group hailing from India\u2019s Hyderabad driving an SUV", "navigation": "Google Maps, blindly followed and directed driver into a stream", "outcome": "A tourist's SUV sank after being driven into a stream", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://arynews.tv/two-men-die-in-worlds-largest-sand-desert-after-losing-gps-signals", "title": "Two men die in world\u2019s largest sand desert after losing GPS signals" }, { "incident_key": "2026-07-04 | Death Valley National Park, Southern California, USA", "incident_date": "2026-07-04", "location": "Death Valley National Park, Southern California, USA", "people": "Two men driving a Chevy Malibu", "navigation": "GPS; misread GPS and made one wrong turn", "outcome": "Chevy Malibu trapped in mud after less than a mile; two men survived, one was picked up by visitors and called for help, second man suffered from symptoms of heat illness and was transported to the hospital", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://powernationtv.com/post/death-valley-off-roading-incident", "title": "Two Guys Attempted To Drive Directly Through Death Valley and Almost Died" }, { "incident_key": "January 12 | Burlington, Vermont, United States", "incident_date": "January 12", "location": "Burlington, Vermont, United States", "people": "An unnamed man and two friends", "navigation": "Waze app; advised them to go straight and he inadvertently went down a boat ramp", "outcome": "Three people unharmed, climbed out of the vehicle before it sank into the icy Lake Champlain; the Jeep Compass was submerged for more than a week before being pulled out", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://worldofbuzz.com/man-blindly-follows-wazes-directions-ends-driving-car-lake", "title": "Man Blindly Follows Waze's Directions, Ends Up Driving Car Into Lake - WORLD OF BUZZ" }, { "incident_key": "July last year | Death Valley National Park, California, United States", "incident_date": "July last year", "location": "Death Valley National Park, California, United States", "people": "Donna Cooper, 63, her daughter Gina, and a friend", "navigation": "handheld GPS, leading them down paths instead of roads and in circles", "outcome": "Rescued after two days; unharmed", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://pressenterprise.com/2011/09/08/inland-gps-errors-can-have-dire-consequences", "title": "INLAND: GPS errors can have dire consequences" }, { "incident_key": "March 22 | Todmorden, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom", "incident_date": "March 22", "location": "Todmorden, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom", "people": "Robert Jones, a 43-year-old driver from Doncaster, South Yorkshire", "navigation": "sat nav, instructed him that a narrow, steep path in Todmorden was a road", "outcome": "BMW hung off the edge of a cliff; driver charged with driving without due care and attention; no injuries or deaths reported", "source_count": 1, "url": "http://iranmap.com/i/man-follows-sat-nav-to-cliff-edge", "title": "Man follows sat nav to cliff edge" }, { "incident_key": "May 31 | Glen Canyon area, from Big Water to Escalante, Utah, USA", "incident_date": "May 31", "location": "Glen Canyon area, from Big Water to Escalante, Utah, USA", "people": "A Pennsylvania couple in their 60s", "navigation": "GPS unit in their vehicle advised that they could travel this route", "outcome": "Vehicle broke down after oil pan was ripped out and engine seized; couple stranded for four days, extremely dehydrated, kept at hospital overnight for observation", "source_count": 1, "url": "http://poi-factory.com/node/14296", "title": "I wouldn't have thought it..." }, { "incident_key": "New Year's Day | Changzhi City, Shanxi province, China", "incident_date": "New Year's Day", "location": "Changzhi City, Shanxi province, China", "people": "Mr Wu, driver of the lorry", "navigation": "GPS navigation route, error led lorry up narrow and dangerous mountain road", "outcome": "Lorry dangled 330-350 feet off a cliff, front wheels crashed through guardrails, right side tipped over; driver escaped unharmed in time; lorry pulled to safety by three heavy towing vehicles after three days", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://timesnownews.com/the-buzz/article/heart-stopping-video-shows-lorry-dangling-330-ft-off-a-cliff-after-gps-error-takes-it-up-mountain-road/847771", "title": "Heart-stopping video shows lorry dangling 330-ft off a cliff after GPS error takes it up mountain road" }, { "incident_key": "Sunday morning | Todmorden, West Yorks", "incident_date": "Sunday morning", "location": "Todmorden, West Yorks", "people": "Robert Jones, 43, a driver for a living from Doncaster, South Yorks", "navigation": "sat nav, kept insisting the path was a road even as it was getting narrower and steeper", "outcome": "Driver unharmed, BMW left teetering on the edge of a 100ft drop, rescued after a nine-hour operation", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/prat-nav-on-driving-rap-18061827", "title": "Prat nav on driving rap" }, { "incident_key": "Sunday morning | Buffumville Lake in Charlton, Massachusetts", "incident_date": "Sunday morning", "location": "Buffumville Lake in Charlton, Massachusetts", "people": "A man (driver)", "navigation": "GPS navigation", "outcome": "The driver managed to escape the vehicle on his own and was taken to a Worcester hospital with non-life-threatening injuries; the car was completely submerged in about 8 to 10 feet of water and was later recovered.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2021/03/15/man-following-gps-navigation-drives-car-into-charlton-lake/", "title": "Man following GPS navigation drives car into Charlton lake" }, { "incident_key": "Wednesday | Bellevue, Washington", "incident_date": "Wednesday", "location": "Bellevue, Washington", "people": "A woman ... who was with two others", "navigation": "The system guided her down a boat launch", "outcome": "the driver and her two passengers were able to make it to shore unharmed, but the rented SUV wasn\u2019t so fortunate. In fact, when the tow truck driver arrived just four hours later, the rented vehicle was fully submerged.", "source_count": 2, "url": "https://kezj.com/woman-drives-car-into-water-gps-to-blame-video", "title": "Woman Drives Car Into Water, GPS to Blame [VIDEO]" }, { "incident_key": "overnight | Charlton, Mass. / Buffumville Lake", "incident_date": "overnight", "location": "Charlton, Mass. / Buffumville Lake", "people": "A driver", "navigation": "GPS; followed his GPS into Buffumville Lake", "outcome": "Vehicle entered a lake and was removed by a dive team; no injuries.", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://whdh.com/news/dive-team-removes-sumberged-vehicle-after-driver-follows-gps-into-charlton-lake", "title": "Dive team removes sumberged vehicle after driver follows GPS into Charlton lake" }, { "incident_key": "summer | Death Valley National Park, California, United States", "incident_date": "summer", "location": "Death Valley National Park, California, United States", "people": "Visitors arriving from the west on Highway 190", "navigation": "GPS unit; told their GPS to take them to Scotty's Castle", "outcome": "Vehicle became stuck near a remote abandoned mine site called Lippincott; everybody survived (one person walked out 20 to 25 miles and made contact with a ranger)", "source_count": 1, "url": "https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/death-by-gps.455672", "title": "Death by GPS" }, { "incident_key": "summer | Saline Valley via Highway 190, Death Valley National Park, California, USA", "incident_date": "summer", "location": "Saline Valley via Highway 190, Death Valley National Park, California, USA", "people": "Visitors arriving from the west", "navigation": "GPS unit instructed to find Scotty's Castle, directed them over an unpaved, winding, washboard road toward Saline Valley, leading to a rough four-wheel-drive road", "outcome": null, "source_count": 1, "url": "https://seattletimes.com/life/travel/gps-can-steer-unwary-drivers-into-disaster", "title": "GPS can steer unwary drivers into disaster" } ], "notes": [] }