Following the Navi into the Sea... US Tourist Says "Thought It Was a Puddle"

Road for Launching Boats... Connecting the Roadway and Harbor
The Reason for Guiding This Path Remains Unclear

In Hawaii, USA, a navigation system installed in a vehicle guided tourists into the ocean, causing the vehicle and its occupants to fall into the sea.

According to foreign media including Hawaii News Now on the 4th (local time), around 8 p.m. on the 29th of last month, a tourist driving according to the navigation satellite positioning system (GPS) guidance fell into the sea at Honokohau Harbor in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii.

An accident occurred on the 29th of last month (left) and in April (right), where a vehicle's navigation system guided the car into the sea, causing it to fall into the water.
[Photo by Hawaii News Now capture]

This location is known as a place where a roadway extends into the water to launch small boats.

In an interview with the media, a witness said, "It took quite some time to realize the driver had fallen into the water," and added, "Just before fully submerging, the driver grabbed their belongings and tried to escape," describing the tense situation at the time.

The accident video filmed by the witness group shows a witness shouting, "You need to get out quickly," upon noticing the car sinking in the water, after which the driver, finally understanding the situation, escapes the vehicle and calls for help.

Local police explained, "(The tourist) followed the navigation GPS guidance exactly but veered off the road and fell into the sea." The driver reportedly stated, "At first, I thought I was just passing through a large puddle."

There were no reported casualties from this accident.

Meanwhile, a similar accident occurred at the same location just a few weeks earlier in April. Two tourists fell into the same harbor. That incident happened during the daytime. The driver was captured on video smiling, seemingly unaware of the emergency despite the car sinking.

They also told local police that they were following the GPS navigation.

A citizen who witnessed the accident at that time explained, "The car drove straight toward the harbor at high speed," and added, "The tourists who fell into the water showed no signs of panic."

They further added, "It seemed like they did not understand what was happening."

Hawaii Police Department has reportedly not issued an official statement regarding these incidents. It also remains unclear why the navigation GPS directed drivers to this harbor.