A pair of tourists followed their GPS navigation system all the way into Honokohau harbor in Kailua-Kona. Witnesses spoke to KITV4 about the unusual incident.
KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii (KITV4) -- The Big Island's Honokohau Harbor is quickly gaining national attention, and even international notoriety, after a viral video showed a pair of tourists unwittingly driving down a boat ramp, and directly into the water.
The owner of a Kona tour company told KITV4 she'd heard of tourists falling into the water before, but never seen a vehicle drive straight into Honokohau Harbor.
The duo followed GPS straight onto a boat ramp to everybody's surprise on a Saturday afternoon, and just kept going.
“Pretty sure that wasn't supposed to happen,” Christie Hutchinson said in real time, as she recorded from her phone, the Dodge Caravan floating off the boat ramp and into the water.
“I was so stunned because I was actually in the Jeep getting ready to pull the boat out of the ramp, and I see a car coming the other direction. That was the absolute last thing you would expect to see when you're on a boat ramp.” Tony Perman told KITV4.
"I think everyone was in a state of disbelief or just trying to figure out what had happened,” Hutchinson added, "As the car just kept going forward and was getting into deeper and deeper water- the ladies were smiling and didn't seem to be in any sense of urgency or panic to get out the water."
Christie Hutchinson caught it all on a now viral video that has be shared and reshared across the world.
Ronald Jourden, who works for a tour company, also started filming. And through the climate of confusion, witnesses sprang into action.
Tony Perman said he decided to jump in, “Throw it in park and and I get in the water and I noticed that the car is floating really well, and I didn't know if there was anybody in the back either, so you know, and I didn't want to go opening doors or hatches or anything, you know, in case it made the car sink even more. “
Others joined in the effort helping the women out the windows and then ushering the two women out of their rental car and to safety.
“I didn't hear any brake sound or anything," Jourden said, "She didn't try to stop at all, just went in, start floating, and was going towards the middle of the harbor."
The car then became totally submerged and required a tow out of the harbor.
“You can see in the video that the rain is really substantial. I can see how something like this could potentially happen, where it's difficult to see where the ground ends and the murky waters begin, especially if you're- I was told she was following her GPS to try and find a manta-ray tour," Hutchinson explained.
“I did talk to them up here after they were done with the fire department, in shock, you know. I think as anybody would be,” Perman told KITV4, “I was going to yell at them, ladies Google is wrong! But before I even had a chance to do that, they were already in the water."
How to prevent something like this in the future?
“Don't trust the Google map lady. Don't trust any GPS, man. Use your eyeballs,” Perman concluded.
