Barry Mattacott, 63, was riding a Kawasaki W650 from Quy Nhon towards Danang at noon on October 3 when he followed Google Maps onto a dirt road through mountains and forest in Dang Thuy Tram Commune, Quang Ngai Province.
The road became increasingly difficult, with steep slopes, rocky sections and deep mud. In places, the mud reached halfway up the motorcycle's wheels. His bike suffered a puncture on a rocky slope.
Mattacott spent more than three hours walking with his motorcycle in search of a way out. At about 2.30 pm, local residents found him in the Kon Doc area and alerted commune police.
Phan Tien Dung, head of the Dang Thuy Tram Commune police, and a colleague drove a specialised vehicle to the site. They loaded Mattacott and his motorcycle onto the vehicle and took him nearly 20km to the Duc Pho area to find a repair shop.
After the tyre was repaired, the officers escorted him to a main road so he could continue his journey.
Mattacott later sent the police a thank-you letter in English, saying he had become worried after getting lost on rough mountain roads and was unsure whether he would find anyone to help when his motorcycle broke down.
"Some kind local people called the police to help me. The officers were very friendly and enthusiastic," he wrote.
Mattacott said he is from Britain and first came to Vietnam in late 2019. He has travelled by motorcycle between Danang, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and other parts of the country.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Dung, the dirt road connecting An Lao in Gia Lai Province with Dang Thuy Tram Commune is mainly used by local residents and for forestry activities. It has numerous steep and rocky sections, making it easy for people unfamiliar with the terrain to get lost.
Before Mattacott, tourists from Canada, China, South Korea and the US had also been directed onto the road by Google Maps while travelling from Quy Nhon to Danang.
Dang Thuy Tram Commune police advised tourists unfamiliar with the area to avoid the route, particularly during the rainy season, when muddy conditions increase the risk of landslides and road closures.