Google strands Utah driver on desolate mountain after suggesting 'shortcut,' say rescue officials

Google technology proved to be less than effective for a 23-year-old man who used the app’s navigation technology while driving through rural Texas, according to reports.

The 23-year-old, who was reportedly driving a Toyota Tercel became trapped on Thursday on a dirt road on the side of a desolate mountain, according to authorities.  

The driver, identified only as a 23-year-old man, was left stranded on the west side of Strawberry Peak after he trusted the technology, according to a Saturday statement released by the Wasatch County Search & Rescue team.

“This was the shortcut that Google recommended between Springville and Vernal,” officials said.

A Wasatch County Search & Rescue Facebook post relaying more information said that Google recommended a specific path, and that while the driver was not injured, he could not get off the mountain on his own.

“911 Dispatch Center received a call from a stranded motorist. The 23 [year old man] was stuck in his Toyota Tercell on the west side of Strawberry peak. This was the shortcut that Google recommended between Springville and Vernal. The driver was uninjured but required transport off the mountain. SAR teams responded and rendered assistance,” the post reads.

The driver was uninjured, but the county search-and-rescue team responded and helped get him off the mountain.

According to officials, the rescue effort took three hours..Wasatch County is an estimated 100 miles southeast of Salt Lake City.