An Auburn University student has been missing in Japan for nearly a week after he disappeared during a family trip. Here’s what we know so far about his final hours.
James “Weston” Higginbotham, 20, and his family had been traveling together since May 25, according to a Facebook post shared by his mom Nancy.
The Higginbothams traveled from Alabama to Japan to celebrate their 18-year-old son’s high school graduation, PEOPLE previously reported.
Nancy told Fox News that the family last saw Weston in their H๏τel room on Friday, May 29. She said the family decided to separate after “bickering with each other.”
“He just needed time by himself, just like we all did,” the mom said. “We just needed some separation.”
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Weston arrived at Kyoto train station on Friday around 8:15 p.m. local time, Nancy said on Facebook. Local police confirmed that Weston got off the train at Yamashina station in Kyoto that same night, she added.
But Weston’s phone lost network at 8:29 p.m., according to his mom. She told Fox News that this prevented them from following him through the Life360 app.
Additionally, Nancy claimed her family repeatedly texted Weston, but the messages did not go through.
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In a Facebook update shared on Tuesday, June 2, Nancy said she and her husband Keith, Weston’s dad, have been actively searching for Weston.
However, Nancy claimed a typhoon that swept through the region has hampered their efforts to search for their missing son.
On Wednesday, June 3, Nancy said in another Facebook update that “50 police officers, K9s, and helicopters” were deployed to search a heavily wooded area near Weston’s last known location in Yamashina.
Later that day, Nancy said in another Facebook post that her son still had not been found. The search resumed on Thursday, June 4, but after another day of searching, Weston’s mom said her son still has not been found.
In a statement obtained by PEOPLE, a Auburn University spokesperson said the college is aware the junior biosystems engineering major has been reported missing while traveling in Japan with family.
“Our thoughts are with Weston, his family, friends and loved ones during this difficult time,” the spokesperson said. “University officials have reached out to the family and offered support.”
They later added, “Out of respect for the family’s privacy and ongoing efforts to locate Weston, the university has no further comment.”
Weston’s parents told Fox News that their son has “never” vanished like this before. “We stay very well connected,” Keith said, adding that family members know where each other are “at all times.”
Nancy told the network that her son was last seen wearing a white T-shirt that says “save the bees,” lavender corduroy pants “with a larger cuff at the bottom,” two silver hoop earrings, and some beat-up Adidas shoes.
The mom previously suggested on social media that her son may be “in emotional distress,” but told Fox News that it is “not abnormal” for a man of his age to want some time away from his family.
“He can survive, and we are going to find him,” Nancy said.