The family of James Weston Higginbotham confirmed this Saturday the lifeless discovery of the 20-year-old who had disappeared during a family vacation in Japan.

The news was announced by his mother, Nancy Higginbotham, through a Facebook post, in which she reported that the body was located by a volunteer search and rescue group in a mountainous area on the outskirts of Kyoto.

"Our family is devastated. The pain we feel is impossible to put into words," he wrote.

Relatives did not offer details about the cause of death or the circumstances in which the student was found.

A search that mobilized volunteers in several countries

Higginbotham, a student at Auburn University, had traveled to Japan with his parents at the end of May.

According to the information released by the family during the search, the young man was last seen on May 29 in the vicinity of Yamashina station, east of Kyoto.

His parents previously explained that he had separated from them after a family argument. Thanks to a location application they were able to follow his movements while he was near a river and later boarded a train.

However, his phone signal suddenly disappeared and since then there have been no more confirmed traces of his whereabouts.

The disappearance generated a widespread mobilization of volunteers, local residents and search organizations in both Japan and the United States.

The family appreciates the support received

In her message, Nancy Higginbotham expressed her gratitude to the people who assisted in the efforts to find her son.

“The enormous outpouring of kindness and support sustained us during the darkest days of our lives,” he said.

The family also asked for respect for their privacy as they grieve the loss.

“We are eternally grateful for the time we shared with our beloved Weston, but we cannot begin to understand what life will be like without him,” his mother wrote.

Questions persist about what happened

So far, Japanese authorities have not released information about the circumstances of the death or the findings made in the area where the body was located.

During the days before the outcome, relatives maintained hope of finding him alive. His mother had highlighted that Weston was an experienced hiker, with the knowledge to navigate natural environments and the ability to survive in adverse conditions.

The investigation continues as authorities try to determine what happened during the days he was missing.

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