MEMPHIS, TN -
(WMC-TV)- This year's summer vacation has been anything but boring for a family driving through Memphis.
A Texas dad thought his kids were kidnapped Monday morning when they left him behind at a gas station.
The man, who did not want to give his name, said he was left behind after stopping on New Brunswick Road to eat and fill up the gas tank near the LaQuinta Inn.
According to the father, "Somebody had been sleeping all night in the back and they were going to drive and I was going to get in the back and sleep. I went inside to get my change for the gas and they thought I was already loaded up and closed all the doors and took off."
The dad did try to call his own cell phone, which was still in the van, but nobody answered it.
"Six different cell phones and nobody answers and my phone is in there because it's on the charger and nobody answers it and then it starts going straight to voicemail. I mean, that's odd," said the Texas dad.
The father said since he thought his children were kidnapped, he called the police. But it was a social media site that helped him find his family.
The guy used a computer from a local motel to contact somebody via Facebook, who helped him reach his family.
The van was about 100 miles away by the time he made contact with his family. The dad feels confident the entire incident was simply a huge mistake.
