Tourists Say Waze App Directions Led Them Into Lake

A trio of tourists sightseeing in Burlington, Vermont, with a borrowed car managed to drive into a lake after using navigation app Waze, police said.

Tara Guertin lent her Jeep to her Connecticut-based friends Jan. 12 while they were in town, KUSA reported. Guertin's friends were reportedly following the directions provided by Waze on a foggy day trip, but the Jeep ended up at the bottom of Lake Champlain. The vehicle wasn't removed from the lake until Monday, however, with help from a salvage team.

No injuries were sustained from the event.

"I was speechless," Guertin said to WCAX. "My first thing was, 'Is everybody OK?' Because this could have had a very bad ending, and luckily everybody was alright."

The individuals involved were not charged or cited for the incident, Burlington Police Chief Brandon del Pozo said Monday, according to WUSA. The driver, however, informed police that he had consumed one beer at Foam Brewery prior to getting behind the wheel.

Waze didn't have an adequate way of explaining the navigational malfunction.

"It's impossible to comment here without seeing the user's driving file and we haven't received permission to do so- generally speaking, Waze maps are updated with millions of edits to adapt to real-time road conditions daily, often making them the most accurate available," Julie Mossler, a spokesperson for Google, told the Burlington Free Press.

Mossler added that Waze advises for "drivers to keep their eyes on the road and use all environmental information available to them to make the best decisions as they drive."

Waze is the largest community-centered navigation app. Waze users, also known as "Wazers," have the ability to report real-time traffic updates and information about the roads. The user created updates are meant to aid in "saving everyone time and gas money on their daily commute," according to the app's website. The app also benefits from having a community of map editors that work towards ensuring all maps are fully up-to-date.

A representative for Waze did not immediately return International Business Times' request for comment.