Car GPS navigation systems are designed to assist drivers in finding their way without the hassle of consulting maps, but they are not foolproof and incidents involving malfunctions are not uncommon. Recently, in Isle of Palms, South Carolina, USA, a couple followed the instructions of their GPS navigation system, inadvertently driving onto a boat ramp leading to the water, eventually ending up in the water. Fortunately, they were rescued before their car sank.
According to reports from WCIV TV station, the incident occurred on the evening of September 14th in the coastal city of Isle of Palms, South Carolina. A couple in their 60s visiting the area dined at a seafood restaurant before leaving. They followed the GPS navigation instructions, which led them onto the boat ramp heading to the ocean, resulting in their car submerging in the water.
Johnny Himmelsbach, a bartender at the restaurant and a former lifeguard, heard the car plunging into the water and immediately jumped in to rescue the couple, successfully pulling them out of the car through a window before it completely sank.
Another bartender at the restaurant, Shannon Standhardt, upon witnessing the incident, rushed to the other end of the pier to seek help from the fire department. However, by the time the rescue personnel arrived, the car had already submerged entirely.
Standhardt praised Himmelsbach for his heroic act of saving the couple, expressing relief that the incident did not have a tragic outcome. She emphasized that Himmelsbach deserved all the glory and that the details of the event would be etched in their memories forever.
Local authorities subsequently sealed off the boat ramp and dispatched a team the next day to retrieve the couple’s car and personal belongings that had floated out of the vehicle.
Christopher Sollom, the restaurant manager, mentioned that the couple was left shaken by the incident but were grateful to have survived with Himmelsbach’s assistance.
Sollom commended Himmelsbach, calling him an angel whose brave actions had aided the innocent visitors. He stated, “I can’t say we’ll forget this night.”
Isle of Palms Police Department spokesperson Matt Storen informed the UK’s Daily Mail that the couple passed a sobriety test and declined medical treatment.
Storen noted that the situation could have had a much worse outcome, but thanks to the help of the restaurant staff, the couple was able to return home and reunite with their family.
In a previous report by Da Ji Yuan, there was a similar navigation-related incident in Massachusetts in February 2022. A man drove from Florida to Massachusetts, but the GPS misguidance led to his car getting stuck on the railroad tracks. Shortly after he exited the vehicle, a high-speed train collided with it.
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