Ashley Phillips, California woman who went missing in Costa Rica believed to have been found dead after hiking trek turned to tragedy following sudden storm downpour leading to treacherous conditions. Body found pending positive identification.
The body of a California woman who went missing while holidaying in Costa Rica is believed to have been found. The revelation comes as local authorities discovered the remains of a female in the same area where the missing tourist was last known to be in.
Ashley Phillips, 30, vanished after going on a hiking trail only for sudden rainstorms to descend as she made her way earlier this month. The onset of heavy rain led to dangerous mudslides and flash flooding.
As of publishing, local authorities had yet to conclusively identify the body as that of Phillips. A video showed harnessed rescuers taking a body out of a river in the country CBS LA reported.
Costa Rican authorities previously stated that it was likely Phillips disappeared in a ‘water-related accident.’
Phillips who had checked into a local yoga retreat had been missing for more than two weeks, with search efforts paused due to the torrid conditions before resuming.
A GoFundMe set up on June 9 said: ‘For the past seven days, the Jonkey and Phillips family have been living through every parent’s and sibling’s worst nightmare.
‘Their beloved daughter and sister, Ashley Phillips, has been missing in Costa Rica after severe weather caused flooding and mudslides during a hike.’
In another update posted on June 12, the family marked 10 days since her disappearance, noting search efforts had become difficult because of the weather.
Jeffrey Phillips, her father, said Ashley was staying in an ‘isolated area’ where emergency services would be limited. Ashley Phillips appeared happy, and last spoke to her father about a little baby pineapple that was growing on a pineapple bush.
The woman was aiming for a restorative stay at HOME Farm (which stands for “Heaven On Mother Earth”) in Costa Rica’s Diamanté Valley, a regenerative sanctuary nestled in the heart of the rainforest resting on 55 acres of lush tropical jungle and sitting atop the Nauyaca waterfalls.
