Search and rescue volunteers in Japan have found the body of an Auburn University student who went missing during a family vacation, marking a tragic end to a frantic dayslong search across forested mountains.<\/p>\n
James \u201cWeston\u201d Higginbotham, 20, was found dead Saturday outside Kyoto, his family said in a social media post<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cOur family is heartbroken to share that Weston was found deceased by a volunteer search-and-rescue group in a mountainous area outside of Kyoto. The grief we feel is impossible to put into words,\u201d the family wrote.<\/p>\n A passionate naturalist, Weston vanished May 29 after leaving his parents and brother to explore Kyoto on his own after butting heads with his mother over her use of ChatGPT \u2013 and the natural resources such AI requires \u2013 to navigate their trip.<\/p>\n He was last seen walking alone in the city\u2019s Yamashina area, on a path that led to a hiking trail in the nearby woods.<\/p>\n A 72-hour police search of the densely wooded area Weston was last spotted walking toward ended Friday, according to the family. The search involved more than 100 police officers, K-9s and helicopters.<\/p>\n On Saturday the Higginbothams launched their own search efforts, with help from local residents and a hired search and rescue team, focused on areas of the forests of Yamashina that police did not search, according to the family.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know he is out in these woods somewhere,\u201d Weston\u2019s mother, Nancy Higginbotham, wrote in an update on Facebook<\/a> Saturday morning.<\/p>\n Following the discovery of Weston\u2019s body, the family thanked those who had shared their story and aided in the search.<\/p>\n \u201cThe outpouring of kindness and support has carried us through the darkest days of our lives,\u201d the family wrote. \u201cThank you for your thoughts, prayers, and support. We will need them now more than ever. We will always love you, Weston.\u201d<\/p>\n This is a developing story and will be updated.<\/p>\n CNN\u2019s Jessie Yeung contributed to this report.<\/p>\n