American college student who went missing in Japan is found dead, family confirms

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An American school pupil, who went lacking eight days in the past throughout a trip in Japan, has been discovered useless, his heartbroken household revealed Saturday.

James “Weston” Higginbotham, a 20-year-old Auburn College pupil from Alabama, disappeared Might 29 whereas touring in Japan along with his dad and mom and youthful brother to have fun his sibling’s highschool commencement. That day, Weston determined to not accompany his household on a go to to a temple in Kyoto. As a substitute, he stayed behind on the resort after lunch and deliberate to spend the afternoon exploring town on his personal.

Weston, an skilled hiker, was final seen on surveillance footage round 8 p.m. strolling alone in a mountainous space of Yamashina ward, close to Kyoto, simply earlier than a storm moved in. Search groups had targeting the closely forested space earlier than calling off efforts, which had been hampered by excessive winds and heavy rain.

His mom, Nancy Higginbotham, shared the devastating information in a Fb put up Saturday.

“Our household is heartbroken to share that Weston was discovered deceased by a volunteer search-and-rescue group in a mountainous space outdoors of Kyoto,” she wrote. “The grief we really feel is unimaginable to place into phrases. We’re eternally grateful for the time we had with our candy, valuable Weston, however can’t start to know what life with out him shall be like.”

Nancy Higginbotham’s assertion continued: “We’re deeply grateful to the numerous individuals throughout the USA, Japan, and world wide who shared Weston’s story, prayed for our household, supplied encouragement, and helped within the search efforts. The outpouring of kindness and assist has carried us by means of the darkest days of our lives. We shared our story right here and within the media within the hope of discovering Weston. We now ask for privateness as we start to navigate this unimaginable loss.”

She concluded: “Thanks in your ideas, prayers, and assist. We are going to want them now greater than ever. We are going to at all times love you, Weston.”

The mother had earlier informed CBS Information that she feared her son had been harm and turn out to be caught someplace within the space.

On the night of Might 29, his dad and mom noticed by means of Life360, a GPS monitoring app, that his telephone was nonetheless transferring across the metropolis and despatched him textual content messages, however he by no means responded.

“My worry is that he does not have sufficient meals as a result of there’s loads of water, and that he is misplaced. These mountains, that forest goes for a really very long time and … it is extraordinarily dense,” she stated.

The preliminary search had reportedly taken place over three days and included 100 law enforcement officials, K9 canines and helicopters however discovered no hint of the 20-year-old.

Nancy Higginbotham additionally informed CBS Information Friday that the pair had argued about using ChatGPT on the journey, which had turn out to be “a sore topic” together with her son, an environmental engineering pupil.

“I used to be utilizing somewhat bit an excessive amount of ChatGPT. Japan is a rustic that I’ve had a tough time navigating,” Nancy Higginbotham informed the outlet. “Weston could be very anti-AI as a result of, you recognize, he is into sustainability engineering, and AI makes use of lots of water and is depleting lots of water assets.”

Auburn College President Christopher B. Roberts issued an announcement about Weston Higginbotham’s loss of life, calling him a “valued member of the Auburn Household” and saying that the varsity “mourns this heartbreaking loss and holds Weston’s household, buddies and family members shut in our ideas throughout this extremely troublesome time,” CBS Information reported.

The Higginbotham household had beforehand deliberate to rent a personal Japanese search-and-rescue workforce and stated they’d not depart Japan till Weston was discovered.

“We have now full confidence that we’re going to discover him,” Weston’s dad, Keith Higginbotham, earlier informed CBS Information.

The Unbiased has contacted the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo for remark.