From Route to Rescue: Google Maps Error Nearly Costs Elderly Couple Their Lives

An elderly couple in Kottayam, Kerala narrowly escaped disaster when their car plunged into a stream due to faulty Google Maps directions. The couple managed to escape before the car was swept away, highlighting the risks of relying solely on GPS.

An elderly couple in Kottayam, Kerala had a narrow escape after their car fell into a stream, allegedly due to incorrect directions provided by Google Maps. Around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Josy Joseph, 62, and his wife Sheeba, 58, were travelling to Josy's friend's home in Manvettam when the accident happened. Following GPS instructions, the vehicle swerved off the route and fell into the flooded creek.

"The road was full of water and that they could not see the road clearly," Josy recalled the event. The driver just avoided a big catastrophe as the car moved towards the deepest part of the stream and was able to stop in time.

The two of them travelled swiftly, even though the water was leaking into the car as it went. Before the car could be washed away, they opened the doors and got out. “There would have been a serious accident if he had gone another one and a half feet because we would have fallen into the overflowing stream,” Josy said.

Locals and workers from a nearby timber mill rushed to the scene and carried out a swift rescue operation. There are reportedly a number of caution signboards positioned close to the stream. But a lot of cars who just use GPS navigation often ignore them, which results in frequent accidents in the region. According to witnesses, had the car moved just another 1.5 feet, it would have plunged into deeper waters, likely resulting in tragedy.

Drivers have been advised by authorities to exercise caution and not rely exclusively on digital maps, particularly in places that are prone to flooding or have low lighting. The incident has reignited concerns about the reliability of digital navigation tools in rural and flood-affected areas, prompting calls for improved mapping accuracy and greater driver caution.