(NewsNation) — The parents of a 20-year-old Auburn University student are searching for their son in Japan, AL.com reported Tuesday, citing social media posts about the disappearance.
James “Weston” Higginbotham was last confirmed to be in the Kyoto area May 29, according to a post circulating online attributed to his mother, Nancy Higginbotham.
“He may be emotionally distressed, so this is urgent,” the post warns. “We are in our own living hell. He is not detained from a night out partying.”
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Weston Higginbotham’s parents search Kyoto’s Yamashina Ward
Higginbotham arrived at the Kyoto train station at around 8:15 p.m. May 29, before his phone lost connection about 14 minutes later, according to the post. Police believe he got off the train at the nearby Yamashina station, though it remains unclear whether he boarded another train afterward.
His parents have reportedly been searching the woods surrounding Yamashina because their son is an experienced outdoorsman who may have sought out local trails.
“Weston is a very experienced hiker and this town has beautiful nature trails,” the post states. “He may have intentionally chosen a quiet trail from Yamashina.”
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Weston Higginbotham described as ‘excellent navigator’
The post says Higginbotham had been on a family trip since May 25 and describes him as “very well travelled and an excellent navigator.”
Higginbotham is described as 6 feet 1 inch tall, with long blonde hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a white shirt with “Save the Bees” on the back, lavender corduroy pants and Adidas sneakers. He was also wearing a shoulder bag with the state of Alabama on it.
“If you see him, PLEASE DO NOT POST HIS EXACT LOCATION PUBLICLY,” according to the post. “Please call local police immediately and then message me directly.”
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AloJapan.com