An Amazon delivery driver had to abandon their van after following GPS directions that led straight into the sea along a notorious historic path in England’s Thames Estuary.
According to a Facebook post from HM Coastguard Southend, they received reports about the incident on February 15 about a van driving via Wakering Stairs onto The Broomway, a roughly six-mile walking route stretching out into the estuary toward Foulness Island.
The centuries-old path, believed to be around 600 years old, is meant for walkers and is known for rapidly changing tides and dangerous mud flats. Despite that, the driver was reportedly attempting to reach Foulness Island to deliver a parcel when their navigation system routed them onto the track.
Footage circulating online shows the Amazon van stranded in shallow water after becoming stuck in soft mud as the tide began coming in. The driver managed to exit the vehicle safely and alerted Amazon, which arranged for the van to be recovered with help from a local farmer.
Amazon van recovered after driver gets stuck at sea
Coastguards said their main priority was ensuring everyone involved was safe and preventing any environmental damage.
“HM Coastguard’s primary concern was for the safety of the occupants and any possible pollution,” the agency explained. “With the occupants confirmed to be safe and the vehicle to be removed later today, Coastguard Officers were stood down.”
Security guards working for QinetiQ, which manages Foulness Island on behalf of the UK Ministry of Defence, told local outlet Your Southend the driver had been trying to access the island that evening to complete a delivery.
The Amazon van was recovered with help from a farmer.
Amazon later confirmed to CNN that the driver was safe and the van had been retrieved, adding the company is investigating what happened.
The Broomway has a long reputation for danger. According to local guide website Thames Estuary Man, it’s often called the “deadliest footpath in Britain,” with parish records linking around 100 drownings to the route over the years. The last recorded death there dates back to 1919.
The incident is the latest example of navigation apps leading drivers astray. In January, three tourists from Taiwan ended up stranded on ski slopes in Andorra after blindly following GPS directions.
