The Honokohau Small Boat Harbor in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, has a reputation for luring vehicles into the waters, but authorities say the common theme is “operator error.” In just over a year, three cars have plunged into the water at the marina while following GPS directions. The incidents have baffled Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth, who says it’s just another form of people not paying attention. In one incident, a tourist driving a Chrylser Town & Country had been trying to find a Manta Ray Snorkel tour company and reportedly took a wrong turn while following GPS directions. A few weeks later, another woman was following GPS directions when she took a turn down the boat ramp in her Ford Edge and found herself in the water. Roth said he is working to get the GPS issues figured out by getting in touch with Google and the GPS manufacturers that have their maps. An official with the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources said the incidents are operator error and the boat ramp is “hard to miss.” A spokesperson from Google said that while they haven’t identified any routes in Google Maps that lead to the harbor, they are working with local authorities to make updates, if necessary, to accurately route drivers.
