(Photo: Jacqueline Lawrie/LNP)
An Amazon driver was left stranded after driving along ‘one of Britain’s deadliest roads’.
They followed their GPS as they tried to reach Foulness Island in Essex, but were led to a treacherous 600-year-old footpath known as The Broomway in the dark on Saturday evening.
The six-mile route can quickly become flooded as the tides change and winds through an Army firing range.
A spokesman for HM Coastguard Southend said the route should only be walked with a guide who knows the mud flats.
“It is an extremely dangerous area and the MOD site is only freely accessible when the shooting ranges are not active and the barrier is open,” they said.
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Amazon said it was “aware” of the situation and was “investigating.”
(Photo: Jacqueline Lawrie/LNP)
Why is the Broomway so dangerous?
Hikers must carefully time their crossing using tide tables. If you miscalculate, the sea can quickly and silently cut off escape routes.
The path is barely visible
Historically it was characterized by broom branches stuck in the mud (which is how it gets its name). Today, navigation depends on distant marker posts that can be difficult to see in fog or bad weather.
The mud is extremely dangerous
Parts of the route go through deep, sticky mud that can trap people. There have been several rescues and fatalities over the years.
Access is limited.
The Broomway leads to Foulness Island, which is largely under the control of the British Ministry of Defense as a weapons testing area. Public access is limited and regulated.
(Photo: Jacqueline Lawrie/LNP)
The Coast Guard said it spoke to a Qinetiq security officer who said the incident occurred Saturday evening and that the driver “extricated himself from the van and reported the incident to Amazon.”
A local farmer helped remove the vehicle on Sunday.
Coastguard officers were withdrawn from the incident after it was confirmed the van’s occupants were safe and the vehicle would be removed.
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