CUSHMAN, Ark.-Crews are searching for an American student and two Japanese students from Arkansas State University who went missing inside of a cave, officials said.
The university said in a statement that the wife of student Casey Sherwood, a 25-year-old senior from Jonesboro, reported him missing Wednesday night. Also missing are Daiki Itoh, 19, of Hiratsuka, Kanagawa, and Daisuke Takagi, of Kawagoe Hi-who, Hyogo.
Independence County Office of Emergency Management coordinator Glen Willis said two crews are searching for the students in Blowing Cave near Cushman, 110 miles north of Little Rock. Cave-mapping experts are assisting.
ASU said Sherwood was leading the spelunking trip.
Willis and officials with the Independence County Sheriff's Office did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment Thursday.
Acting Arkansas State Chancellor Lynita Cooksey said in the news release the university is working with Independence County authorities in the search. "Arkansas State is between semesters, and many of our students go out to explore the surrounding nature areas," Cooksey said. "We are praying for both the searchers and our students who are missing."
ASU spokesman Bill Smith said the Japanese students had taken English as a second language courses during the summer term and had enrolled as freshmen for the fall semester.