The body of an American college student who was last seen entering a Japanese mountain range popular with hikers was found on Saturday. He went missing on May 29 while on a family trip in Japan.
James “Weston” Higginbotham, 20, was found dead after a massive search to find the Auburn University student, according to his mother’s post on Facebook.
“Our family is heartbroken to share that Weston was found deceased by a volunteer search-and-rescue group in a mountainous area outside of Kyoto,” Nancy Higginbotham posted on Facebook. “The grief we feel is impossible to put into words.”
The family had provided updates on the search for Weston on Nancy Higginbotham’s Facebook page.
Weston had been missing since May 29 and was seen entering the Higashiyama mountain range from the Yamashina Station area in Kyoto, according to a Facebook post from Nancy Higginbotham.
The family had asked experienced hikers, trail runners, outdoor groups, and locals familiar with the area to help search the mountain area.
Higashiyama Recreation Forest is on the eastern edge of Kyoto and includes 14 of the mountain range’s 36 peaks. Long owned by temples and shrines before becoming a national forest in the early 20th century, the forest has helped shape Kyoto’s iconic landscape for centuries. The area has a network of hiking trails popular for nature walks, bird watching, and exploring historic sites.
“Searching the woods now,” Nancy Higginbotham posted on Facebook on June 5 at 7:54 p.m.
The mother posted that the terrain was very dense and steep where they were searching.
On June 4, she posted a photo of the woods.
“This is a picture of the woods in Kyoto where Weston went missing,” she said. “This is what we are up against. It’s so dense.”
In another post, the mother said that Japanese police searched through waist-high mud, and search dogs and helicopters were being used.
Earlier on June 5, Nancy Higginbotham said her goal was to get CNN to pick up the story because it is broadcast all across Japan, and “I need Weston’s face to be seen by the Japanese citizens.” She said she thought they had determined the exact location where her son got lost.
She thanked all those who were responsible for finding her son’s body.
“We are deeply grateful to the countless people across the United States, Japan, and around the world who shared Weston’s story, prayed for our family, offered encouragement, and helped in the search efforts,” Nancy Higginbotham wrote June 6.
“The outpouring of kindness and support has carried us through the darkest days of our lives. We shared our story here and in the media in the hope of finding Weston. We now ask for privacy as we begin to navigate this unimaginable loss.”