English coastguards had to recover an Amazon delivery van after its driver followed GPS directions onto dangerous mudflats on Saturday evening.
The van was driven onto The Broomway, a six-mile historic route dating back about 600 years that is meant to be walked, not used by vehicles. According to HM Coastguard Southend, the driver and van nearly became stuck in the mud while attempting to reach Foulness Island after “following a GPS route.”
The island belongs to the UK Ministry of Defence and contains a firing range operated by defense and security firm QinetiQ. In a Facebook post, coastguards emphasized that “The Broomway route is not for vehicles and should only be walked on with a guide who knows the mud flats.”
An Amazon Prime driver has got their van stuck in the mud in the Thames Estuary after they drove into the sea following a satnav route.
They were trying to reach Foulness Island, near Southend, to make a parcel delivery.
But the driver followed a satnav onto The Broomway which… pic.twitter.com/JXhRzKJdK6
— Your Southend (@YourSouthend) February 15, 2026
QinetiQ maintains a security office at the proper access point to the island. The post added that the area is “extremely dangerous” and located on MoD property, accessible only when firing ranges are inactive and barriers are open.
A local guide known as Thames Estuary Man warns on his website that the Broomway is “often referred to as the deadliest footpath in Britain,” citing parish records attributing around 100 drownings to the route. He notes the presence of very soft mud, the risk of encountering unexploded ordnance if walkers stray off the path, and fast-moving tides that can arrive from unexpected directions.
No injuries were reported in the incident.