Australian police warn against using Apple Maps due to stranded motorists
Queue the Apple Maps jokes.
Australian police are warning drivers to be careful when using the Apple Maps app. The notice was issued after several calls to rescue "distressed motorists" who were reportedly navigating through city streets, but ended up in a national park over 40 miles away.
The Victoria, Australia police say that Apple's mapping system lists the city of Mildura in the middle of Murray Sunset National Park. The concern is over the park's high temperatures -- about 115 degrees -- and lack of water supply.
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According to CNET, police have rescued six stranded motorists.
"Some of the motorists located by police have been stranded for up to 24 hours without food or water and have walked long distances through dangerous terrain to get phone reception," Victoria police said in a statement.
"Anyone travelling[sic] to Mildura or other locations within Victoria should rely on other forms of mapping until this matter is rectified."
Victoria police say they have reported the issues to Apple. The company did not immediately respond to CBS News' request for comment.
Apple maps came under fire when it launched with the tech giant's latest mobile operating system iOS 6, which dropped Google Maps in favor of its own mapping app. Users complained of missing landmarks, wrong directions and the lack of public transportation directions.
Apple CEO Tim Cook apologizedto customers a week later and said the company was working to make Maps better. However, the senior vice president of iOS 6 software Scott Forstall reportedly refused to join in Cook's apology.
Forstall and Apple Maps manager Eddie Cue were both reportedly fired due the mapping app's "bungled introduction," Bloomberg reports.
