A family in India trusted Google Maps but ended up lost in a forest
- A family in India became stranded after following Google Maps
- The route they followed took them deep into a forest
- They had to spend the night in their car
Published on Dec 11, 2024 at 5:08 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Dec 11, 2024 at 8:23 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
A family in India had to spend a night in their car after becoming lost in a forest while following Google Maps.
The driver of the car had followed a route suggested to him by Google Maps.
He ended up traveling about five miles into the forest.
When the motorist’s phone lost cellular signal, the family became stranded and had to spend a night in their VW.
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Google Maps suggested a route through the forest
GPS is an incredibly valuable time-saving tool, helping millions of motorists every single day.
But like any technology, it’s not infallible – just last month 20 or so motorists in Oregon got themselves trapped on a snowy road after blindly following their GPS, and this BMW driver got his $145,000 B3 Touring stuck on a hiking trail.
Ranjit Das and his family also found that out the hard way when they were traveling from Bihar to Goa for a vacation.
As many people do, they decided to use Google Maps to help find a route and were told to head through the Shiroli and Hemmadaga areas, NDTV reported.
The family said the route took them through the Bhimgad forest, but once inside the phone running, Google Maps lost its cellular signal and was unable to update directions.
The family were left stranded over night
As there was no cellular signal, the Das family could also not call for help, meaning they had to spend the night in their car.
Far from ideal, not least because bears are known to roam the forest they were stuck in.
The following morning, Ranjit had to walk for around two miles before he finally got a cellphone signal and could call for help.
Somewhat ironically, it was GPS that helped rescue them, according to Khanapur police inspector Manjunath Nayak.
“The Belagavi police control room passed the information to the Khanapur police, who used GPS coordinates to locate the family and reach them with the help of villagers,” Nayak told reporters.
Hopefully this serves as a bit lesson to keep your wits about you even when you’re following GPS.
Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Across her career she's covered a wide variety of topics, including celebrity, cryptocurrency, politics, true crime and just about everything in between.
