Tourists say Google Maps mistakenly led them into the wilderness, forcing them on a grueling trek for more than a week

Beatrice Nolan
Updated ·2 min read
39

  • Two tourists said Google Maps mistakenly guided them into the Australian wilderness.

  • The German pair told 9News it took them more than a week to find their way out.

  • A spokesperson for Google said the path has been removed from the map.

A pair of German tourists say Google Maps mistakenly led them into the Australian wilderness, resulting in a grueling ordeal that lasted for several days.

Philipp Maier and Marcel Schoene were attempting to drive from the Australian city of Cairns to Bamaga when they followed Google's navigation system onto a dirt track leading to a remote part of Far North Queensland, Australian outlet 9News reported.

"We decided, 'OK, let's follow Google Maps because Google Maps knows maybe more than we know'," Maier the outlet.

The car got bogged in mud 37 miles into the drive, forcing the pair to spend more than a week hiking back to Cairns.

The tourists told 9News they had to cross a river with a crocodile, endured extreme weather, including thunderstorms and high temperatures, and slept under the stars after failing to build a shelter.

A spokesperson for Google told Business Insider: "We apologize for this incident and are relieved that Philipp and Marcel are safe. We can confirm that this path has been removed from the map."

Google said the company uses multiple sources to update the map, including third-party data, user contributions, Street View, and satellite imagery.

However, this is not the first time hikers have found themselves in trouble after following Google Maps directions.

Last year, a mountain rescue crew warned hikers not to rely on urban map apps like Google Maps in the wilderness after they saved three people in Vancouver, Canada.

North Shore Rescue, a volunteer search-and-rescue team, said it seemed the hikers were following a nonexistent trail on Google Maps.

In a statement provided to BI at the time, a Google spokesperson confirmed that the trail had been removed, adding: "We use a variety of sources to update Google Maps, including third-party information, imagery and feedback from our community."

Read the original article on Business Insider