Does Google Earth mean that no one can ever be shipwrecked on an island in the ocean and not found anymore?

All you have to do is clearly write "HELP ME!" in the sand with rocks or stones in very large "script" and it'll eventually be picked up by the Google Earth satellites, someone will see it on Google Earth and send for your rescue.

Can the events of the Tom Hanks film, Castaway, have happened today?

Provided that all images on GE are very high resolution, and that images are updated VERY regularly, this would be quite possible.

However, they're not, and so it isn't.

Well...............maybe......it isnt great fun to have your ship wrecked you know..........especially in icy waters

"Technology takes over Natural calamities"

Things like this might happen in near future..... no wonders......

You have to remember that if it is on an island that people don't know much about, it is not going to be googled much. So, yes, I think being a castaway could still happen. It may be very much reduced the chances in not being found, but hey, with Google EArth, we still cannot find Bin Ladden, can we?

Well google earth does cover the whole world but the stalleites are not constantly updated. I live in Bangkok and we got a new airport about 1 and a half years ago but it is still not on google earth so it would take quite a while to be found and you probably would not be able to survive that long unless you were tom hanks.

Considering that most of the images on Google Earth are YEARS old. Your shipwrecked friend might be waiting quite a bit for viewers of Google Earth to report his position.

As for the "Castaway" film --- about as likely as "Gilligan's Island".

thats the most genius idea

Well if someone were to be shipwrecked, Google Earth would not be the thing you'd use. Google earth is a compilation of week, month, or even year old images from different satelites. There are satelites that can show you up to date images however so... maybe? But not with google earth.