Taxi driver rescued after driving into canal when his sat nav told him to 'turn left'

Police in Greater Manchester say a driver had a “lucky escape” after a sat nav error caused him to steer his taxi into a canal.

The “embarrassed” motorist made a left turn off Bridgewater Way and straight into Bridgewater Canal in Eccles, Greater Manchester, on Sunday evening, officers said.

Greater Manchester Police Traffic Officers posted a picture of the vehicle lying in the water on Twitter following the incident.

A spokesman for the force said: “This taxi was rescued by RPU west A-relief in Eccles after the driver followed his sat nav straight into the Bridgewater Canal.

“Very lucky escape for the embarrassed driver.”

Replying to the tweet, one person wrote: "I hope they were reported to the council as well as having to re-sit a driving test. That's just shocking.”

Another added: “Should have his taxi license and car license revoked, could have been a different outcome.”

However, one person defended the driver, writing: Bridgewater canal is barley lit, as far as I have seen.

“I don’t blame him for not having seen the water as the water too is pitch black with dirt.”

The incident comes a few months after a woman was rescued from Vantage Quay in Manchester city centre, after driving her car into the freezing water.

She managed to escape the vehicle unhurt.

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