The Higginbotham family from Hoover, Alabama, is reaching out to the public for help in locating their son, James ‘Weston’ Higginbotham, a 20-year-old Auburn University student who went missing in Japan. Weston was last confirmed to be in the Kyoto area on May 29, during a family trip that began on May 25, according to his mother, Nancy Higginbotham.

Search Efforts Underway

Authorities have narrowed down Weston’s last known location to Yamashina Station, east of Kyoto, using surveillance video. It was determined that he got off a train at this station, but it remains unclear whether he boarded another train afterward. His phone lost service shortly after he arrived at Kyoto Station around 8:15 p.m. on May 29.

In a heartfelt Facebook post, Nancy Higginbotham shared that search efforts include on-foot searches and helicopter scans of nearby hills. She emphasized her son’s experience as a hiker and pleaded with the public to refrain from spreading rumors about his disappearance. ‘We are in our own living hell,’ she wrote, clarifying that Weston is not detained from a night out partying, as confirmed by police.

Community Support

Auburn University has expressed its support for the Higginbotham family during this difficult time. University officials have reached out to the family, offering assistance while respecting their privacy. Weston is a junior majoring in biosystems engineering and was traveling with his family when he went missing.

Back in Hoover, friends and family gathered at Asbury United Methodist Church for a vigil, praying for Weston’s safe return and for peace for his family. Mayor Nick Derzis of Hoover also expressed his support, stating on the city’s government website, ‘May strength, wisdom, and endurance be with all those working to bring him home.’

The community remains hopeful for a positive outcome as search efforts continue in Japan.

Original reporting: KTVB (Boise metro) — read the source article.