Why motorists keep driving into this Hawaii boat harbor as a third car plunges into water
A small marina has impounded three cars in just over a year, prompting a very surprised response from the local mayor.
The Honokohau Small Boat Harbor in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, is known for luring vehicles into its waters, but authorities say the most common problem is “operator error.”
Last year, two unsuspecting motorists drove into the marina while following GPS instructions.
But the latest incident appears to be purely coincidental, when a 33-year-old woman parked her car on the slope on July 13 while her car was broken down.
As officers attempted to help her, she drove her car into the water, leaving it partially submerged as she escaped.
On July 13 at approximately 8:00 p.m., a 33-year-old woman parked her vehicle on the boat ramp while having car trouble and then drove into the water
Three vehicles have ended up in the water in just over a year at the Honokohau Small Boat Harbor (pictured) in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
The mayor is stunned by the incidents and is shocked by each incident.
“When I first heard it, I thought, ‘You’re kidding,’” said Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth.
“The third one was — are you serious? This is just another form of people not paying attention to what they’re doing.”
On April 29, 2023, a tourist in a Chrysler Town & Country was trying to find a tour company that offered snorkeling trips looking for manta rays when he reportedly took a wrong turn while following GPS directions.
Video footage shows sailboat crew members diving into the harbor and helping the female driver of the van escape through the window, then carrying her to shallower water.
The other passenger, also a woman, and reportedly the driver’s sister, escaped through the window on the other side of the car.
On April 29, 2023, a tourist attempted to find a Manta Ray Snorkel tour company and reportedly took a wrong turn while following GPS directions
Although the passengers actively tried to escape from the car, no one seemed particularly concerned about what was going on.
A few weeks later, on May 29, 2023, another woman followed the GPS directions as she took a turn toward the boat ramp, according to HawaiiNewsNow.
The driver said she was following directions and thought she was driving through a large puddle when she hit the water in her 2020 Ford Edge around 8 p.m.
Roth said he is working to fix the GPS issue because this is not the first time drivers have experienced these types of incidents.
“It’s about contacting Google and all the GPS manufacturers that have their maps. Not just in this incident, but tourists who are going into restricted areas that really shouldn’t be going,” Roth said.
On May 29, 2023, another woman followed GPS directions as she took a turn at the boat ramp
An official with the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Boat and Ocean Recreation, said the incidents were due to “operator error” and that the ramp is “difficult to miss” for boats.
A Google spokesperson told the local news outlet: “Safety is our top priority and we are actively investigating which navigation tools and routes were used in these incidents.”
‘While we have not yet found any routes in Google Maps leading to the port, we are working with local authorities to make updates as necessary to route drivers more accurately.’