James “Weston” Higginbotham, an American Auburn University student who disappeared in Japan during a family vacation, was found dead after a day-long search.
The 20-year-old’s body was recovered in a mountainous area on the outskirts of Kyoto. The official cause of Higginbotham’s death has not yet been revealed.
His family announced the news of the passionate naturalist’s death in a social media post, stating: “Our family is heartbroken to share that Weston was found dead by a volunteer search and rescue group in a mountainous area outside of Kyoto. The pain we feel is impossible to put into words.”
Higginbotham’s mother, Nancy, thanked residents of the United States and Japan and people around the world who prayed for the family and offered encouragement. She said: “The outpouring of kindness and support has gotten us through the darkest days of our lives.”
According cnnHigginbotham set out on a solo trip to explore Kyoto after considerable back-and-forth about his use of ChatGPT and how many natural resources are sacrificed for such AI models.
He was last seen on CCTV footage on a path leading to a hiking trail. Based on the images, the police decided to search the forest; However, his attempt was hampered by a severe storm.
Following the discovery of the body, the family paid a heartfelt tribute to their late loved one. In a Facebook post, his mother wrote: “We will always be grateful for the time we had with our sweet, precious Weston, but we can’t begin to understand what life will be like without him.”
