The 25-year-old Sherwood, a senior, was leading the two freshman on the trip.
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An American student and two Japanese students who went missing inside of a cave overnight were found alive, Arkansas State University and emergency officials said Thursday. We are now reaching out to the parents of the two other students that accompanied Casey, Daiki Itoh and Daisuke Takagi. Also missing are Daiki Itoh, 19, of Hiratsuka, Kanagawa, and Daisuke Takagi, of Kawagoe Hi-who, Hyogo.
Katherine Sherwood, the wife of one of the three students, reported them missing to the A-State University Police Department last evening.
Several rescue teams are exploring the cave to search for the missing students.
Campus police then notified the Independence County sheriff’s office.
“On behalf of all the faculty, students and staff of Arkansas State, I want to thank the rescue teams of Independence County and all the volunteers who came forward to assist”, University Acting Chancellor Lynita Cooksey said in a statement. “Our UPD, Academic Affairs and Student Services personnel are supporting the Independence County Sherriff with information and photographs of the students”. He said the three would regularly shout for help or whistle so rescuers could find them, and stayed close together to keep warm.
Emergency crews are on the scene at Blowing Cave near Cushman, Arkansas in Independence County, according to the Independence County Sheriff’s Office.
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The three students all attended ASU, and two of them were foreign exchange students from Japan. The Calico Rock Fire Department and the Melbourne Fire Department are assisting as well. The search began after a 911 call reported that the students did not show up for a scheduled meeting.
