Chicago Native Missing In Japan
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The U.S. State Department says more than 1,000 Americans were working in northern Japan at the time of last week's earthquake and tsunami.
It's unclear how many of them are still missing or unaccounted for, but it's a nightmare for their families back home.
Chicago native Edward Clemons was teaching English at a school near Sendai. His mother is still desperately trying to find him, CBS 2's Mike Puccinelli reports.
Cynthia Young scans lists of names hoping to find her son's. Edward hasn't been heard from since the earthquake. Up until earlier this week, his mom was sure he'd survived and made it to a shelter. That's because she'd found his name on an Internet list.
"He was accounted for, and then yesterday and today he's not accounted for," she said Thursday.
Young reached out to the Japan Exchange & Teacher program by phone hoping to get an explanation as to the whereabouts of her 25-year-old son.
"They just can't find him," she said. "Nobody has answers."
That's left the Marquette Park mom unable to sleep and barely able to function. About all she says she can do right now is ask God for help.
"I just keep praying," she says. "I know that works. He's going to come back."
Young says says the Japan Exchange & Teacher Program had about 1,000 employees. But only about 300 of them had been accounted for when she last checked.
