The awfulness of Apple Maps (misplaced parks/flighty buildings/squelched bridges) just got worse, after it lead a number of Australian drivers to the middle of the desert, potentially putting their lives in danger. According to police, the drivers were stranded there for a day without food and water.
It turns out that the maps had been misdirecting people trying to get to the Victorian city of Mildura to somewhere in Murray Sunset National Park.
“Police are extremely concerned as there is no water supply within the Park and temperatures can reach as high as 46 degrees, making this a potentially life threatening issue,” Victoria Police said in a press release. “Some of the motorists located by police have been stranded for up to 24 hours without food or water and have walked long distances through dangerous terrain to get phone reception.”
Australian police have warned motorists to be extremely careful when using the maps. Here’s the Guardian:
Getting lost in the park around Mildura is potentially deadly: “There’s no water, and you can get bogged down in the sand,” explained Toby Prime, a reporter on the local Sunraysia Daily. “Temperatures go up to 46 degrees and there’s no water.” People might also have to walk some distance in the heat to get phone reception. Summer is beginning in Australia, and temperatures are soaring.
One man following the map on his phone had driven into the park at 6pm, three hours before it got dark, and then realised that he was nowhere near Mildura – but that to continue driving could get him stuck because of the quantity of sand on and around the road. “The phone says Mildura is in the middle of the national park,” Prime explained. The man was only rescued after he had been in the park for 24 hours.
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