Quick thinking sailboat crew rescue Hawaii tourists who drove straight into harbour while following GPS

A sailboat crew jumped into action to rescue two tourists out of their sinking car after they drove it straight into a boat harbour while reportedly following GPS direction.

The incident took place last Saturday at the Honokohau Small Boat Harbour in Kailua-Kuna, a region located on the west coast of Hawaii.

In a video captured by witness Christie Hutchinson, quick thinking sailboat crew members can be seen springing to action, helping the passengers out of their silver Chrysler Town and Country through the front window.

The crew could be seen using a rope to drag the sinking car back into the shallow water.

"I was just sitting there trying to seek shelter from the rain, and then the next thing, I saw a car drive directly past our boat straight into the harbor at a pretty decent speed," Ms Hutchinson told the Washington Post. 

"It was so confidently done, they didn’t have a look of panic on their face. They were still smiling."

The video showed the car’s windshield wipers still moving as the car tipped forward into the water. Eventually, the tourists unbuckled themselves, with driver opening the door to move out while, the woman on the passenger seat escaped through the window.

The eyewitness also captured the moments car sank into harbour and then disappearing beneath the surface.

"I think they just must’ve taken their eyes off the road for a second, and I think everyone is a bit shocked because we saw this car go straight into the harbor," she told Hawaii News Now.

Ms Hutchinson later told the Insider that she believes tourists in the car were sisters and that no one was hurt in the incident. The car was eventually towed out of the habour.

Meanwhile, Samantha Tavares, an information specialist for Hawaii’s Department of Transportation, told the Washington Post that it was “rare” incident because the GPS directions are usually accurate in the state.