Since the introduction of GPS satellite navigation systems, drivers have become increasingly dependent on these digital copilots to guide them from point A to point B. The days of painstakingly plotting a route with paper maps and a trusty compass are largely behind us. While GPS has undeniably made our journeys smoother and often saved our skins, it can also steer us straight into trouble when it decides to take the scenic—or downright dangerous—route.
10 Times GPS: A Grim Reminder of What Can Go Wrong
10 Boy Dies After GPS Leaves Him And His Mother Stranded
In the scorching summer of 2009, 28‑year‑old nurse Alicia Sanchez and her six‑year‑old son were traversing the blistering expanse of Death Valley National Park when their GPS inexplicably guided them onto a desolate, unmarked track. A week later, a park ranger stumbled upon their Jeep Cherokee half‑buried in sand, thirty‑two kilometres from the nearest road, with “SOS” scrawled in medical tape on the window.
Exhausted and severely dehydrated, Alicia collapsed into the ranger’s arms while her son lay lifeless in the front seat. They survived on bottled water, Pop‑Tarts, and cheese sandwiches, but the boy had already passed away two days before his mother’s rescue.
9 Japanese Tourists Drive Their Car Into The Ocean
In 2012, three Japanese tourists on a holiday in Australia set out for North Stradbroke Island, trusting their GPS to chart a direct route. The device failed to warn them about a fifteen‑kilometre stretch of water and mud separating the mainland from the island.
As they drove their Hyundai Getz, the firm gravel gave way to thick mud. Undeterred, they pressed on, convinced the GPS would lead them to solid ground. After another five hundred metres, the vehicle was up to the axles in mud, and as the tide rose, they abandoned the car, which later rested two metres deep in water.
8 Woman Is Shot Dead After Following GPS Through Brazilian Favela
In October 2015, 70‑year‑old Regina Murmura and her 69‑year‑old husband Francisco set out for a beach day near Rio de Janeiro, relying on a GPS mobile app for directions. Unbeknownst to them, the app steered them straight into the gang‑controlled Caramujo favela.
While navigating the narrow streets, their car came under a hail of gunfire from local traffickers. Regina was fatally shot, and despite Francisco’s frantic drive to the nearest hospital, she succumbed to her wounds.
7 Driver Is Left Teetering On The Edge Of A Cliff After Following His GPS
In 2009, 43‑year‑old Robert Jones from England found himself perilously perched on a thirty‑metre cliff after blindly obeying his GPS. The device misguided him onto a steep, narrow footpath, which, according to the satellite, was a proper road.
Police were called when a BMW was spotted hanging off the edge of Bacup Road in West Yorkshire. Jones, a professional driver, insisted the GPS was correct. He ultimately avoided disaster by stopping the car, but was later fined nearly £900 for careless driving.
6 Woman Dies After Her Husband Drives Off A Bridge
In March 2015, 64‑year‑old Iftikhar Hussain and his 51‑year‑old wife Zohra left Chicago for a family visit in Indiana. Their Nissan Sentra’s GPS led them to a bridge that had been closed since 2009.
Ignoring a barrage of orange cones, “Road Closed” signs, and barricades, Iftikhar pressed on. The car plunged more than eleven metres into the void, igniting a blaze. Iftikhar escaped, but Zohra was trapped and perished in the fiery wreckage.
5 Swedish Couple Ends Up In The Wrong Capri
In 2009, a middle‑aged Swedish pair set off for a romantic getaway on the Italian island of Capri. Their GPS, however, misinterpreted “Capri” as “Carpi,” sending them 640 kilometres north to an industrial town in Modena.
The couple only realized the mistake after asking staff at a local tourist office how to reach the famed Blue Grotto, discovering they were nowhere near the Mediterranean shoreline.
4 Man Takes A Fishing Trip And Never Returns
During the summer of 2015, 69‑year‑old Silas Wrigley embarked on a fishing expedition in Oregon. After a week‑long search, authorities found his truck and body on a remote dirt road, far from any known trail.
Investigators believe his GPS led him off the correct turn for Lake Owyhee, forcing him to recalculate and inadvertently guide him onto the isolated road where he ultimately met his fate.
3 Elderly Belgian Woman Takes Detour To Zagreb
In January 2013, 67‑year‑old Sabine Moreau vanished after setting out to travel just sixty‑one kilometres to Brussels to pick up a friend. Her son reported her missing.
Two days later, she was discovered 1,450 kilometres away in Zagreb, Croatia. The GPS had steered her on a massive detour, forcing two refuels, a minor accident, and an overnight stay sleeping in her car before she finally arrived.
2 Three Women Follow GPS Into A Lake
In June 2011, three young women were escaping a sinking Mercedes‑Benz rental SUV after the car’s GPS misguided them onto a boat launch in Bellevue, Washington. Believing they were still on a road, they drove straight into Mercer Slough.
The SUV plunged into the water, fully submerging. All three occupants escaped unharmed, but the vehicle required a tow truck to be pulled from the lake.
1 GPS Shortcut Leads To Death On A Mountain
In March 2011, Albert and Rita Chretien departed British Columbia in their Chevrolet Astro van, bound for a Las Vegas convention. Mid‑journey, they compared their planned route with the vehicle’s GPS and opted for a “shortcut.”
Unaware that GPS routes ignore seasonal conditions, they soon found themselves on a treacherous desert‑mountain road. After nine kilometres, the path turned impassable, and their van became mired in mud.
Attempts to dig out proved futile, prompting them to set out on foot—only to discover they were heading the wrong way. Rita’s swollen knee forced a retreat, and Albert chose to go it alone, following the GPS into the wilderness.
Tragically, Albert never returned. His body was discovered over a year later, having climbed roughly 730 metres before succumbing. Rita survived 49 days alone in the van, rationing food, reading her Bible, and even eating snow before rescue.
Her harrowing ordeal ended with her eventual rescue, while Albert’s remains were recovered in October 2012, highlighting the deadly consequences of trusting a GPS shortcut in unforgiving terrain.
You can reach Craig on Twitter: @marskelog or Instagram: markelog.