Jamie Oakford said he became lost when his Vodafone data roaming ran out
18:47, 24 Oct 2025Updated 19:03, 24 Oct 2025
Jamie Oakford said he ‘could have died'(Image: Jamie Oakford / SWNS)
A holidaymaker from Greater Manchester claims he ‘could have died’ after getting lost in a desert when his data roaming was cut off.
Jamie Oakford, 54, from Oldham, had embarked on a three-hour drive into the Texan desert from Dallas in search of the perfect star-gazing spot. However, his adventure quickly turned into a nightmare when his Vodafone roaming service stopped working, leaving him stranded and unable to call anyone for help.
Jamie said that he had “never been so scared” in his life. He said: “I had no GPS, no way of phoning anybody. I didn’t know how to get back to the city.
“Can you imagine being stuck out in the wilderness, in the desert with no phone service, no GPS, nothing.
“I was frightened to death because there were rattlesnakes everywhere.”
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Before embarking on his trip, Jamie said he had contacted Vodafone to arrange a roaming package that would allow him to make calls and access the internet while travelling.
After agreeing on the terms and price, Jamie activated his phone upon arrival at Dallas airport on September 17, which he said worked without any problems.
Jamie Oakford says he had ‘never been so scared’ as when his phone data ran out in the Texas desert(Image: Jamie Oakford / SWNS)
The following day, he ventured into a national park outside of Dallas in his rental car. However, a few hours into his journey, he received a text message informing him that he was nearing the limit of his package.
He said he was cut off shortly after. In order to top it up, he said he would have had to call his provider or contact them online, which he was unable to do in the desert without phone service.
‘I was absolutely distraught’
However, Jamie was aware that he could still dial 911 for emergency services even without a network connection.
But when he made the call, he was told that unless a crime was in progress or he required immediate medical attention, his situation did not qualify for the free 911 service.
Fortunately, the call handlers were able to direct him to the local rangers, who used the rental car’s tracking device to find him.
They advised him to remain in the vehicle with the engine switched off as the heat could attract rattlesnakes.
Jamie added: “I was stuck out there on my own.
“No communications, no service, no data, for four hours before they actually found my car and the sheriff escorted me into the sheriff’s station.
“I was absolutely distraught.”
Jamie Oakford says he was lost for four hours before his car was found by rangers(Image: Jamie Oakford / SWNS)
Jamie also had to pay $200 – just under £150 – for the ranger service.
While he said he had a “beautiful view of the stars” waiting for the rangers, the ordeal left him shaken up.
He said: “I’m out of pocket. I had the worst holiday. It’s just been absolutely horrible at the worst time of my life.”
Once he was back in the UK, he complained to Vodafone and was told that there was a spend cap on his package – which he claims he was not made aware of in the first place.
A Vodafone spokesperson said: “We’re sorry for any distress this customer experienced while travelling in the United States.”
The company said his plan included a cap and but didn’t include roaming in the US.
It said an alert telling him he was at 80 per cent of his cap had been reached with a link to increase it.