“With Broken Hearts”: Family of California Woman Ashley Phillips Shares Devastating Update After Her Body is Found in Costa Rica Floods
The body of a California woman who disappeared in a remote area of Costa Rica earlier this month has been identified as 30-year-old Ashley Phillips.
“With broken hearts, we share the news that Ashley’s body has been found,” her family said in an update posted on GoFundMe.
Phillips, a resident of Santa Clarita, went missing on June 3 while hiking near the Nauyaca Waterfalls. Her disappearance occurred as a powerful storm brought torrential rainfall, triggering severe flooding and landslides across the region.
Search and rescue teams, assisted by volunteers, spent days looking for Phillips. Efforts were repeatedly interrupted by hazardous weather conditions that hampered operations.
A body was recovered from the water on Wednesday, more than two weeks after Phillips was reported missing.
According to local news outlet Tico Times, members of the Costa Rican Red Cross discovered her body approximately 600 meters from an area heavily affected by flooding and landslides. No signs of life were found.
Authorities formally identified the body on Thursday.
As the family mourns the loss of a beloved daughter, sister, and friend, they have expressed gratitude that Phillips can finally be brought home.
“While her family mourns this tragic loss, they find some comfort in knowing she has been found and can now be brought home,” the GoFundMe page stated. “Ashley was confident in who God created her to be and lived life with a spirit of adventure.”
Costa Rican authorities have not publicly disclosed a cause of death, and the investigation remains ongoing. However, previous reports suggested that Phillips was likely swept away during the storm.
Phillips had been staying at HOME Farm—short for “Heaven On Mother Earth”—in Costa Rica’s Diamanté Valley. The regenerative sanctuary is situated within 55 acres of tropical rainforest and overlooks the Nauyaca Waterfalls.
The GoFundMe campaign established to support the family’s memorial and celebration-of-life arrangements has raised more than $20,000.
“She loved traveling, spending time in nature, and caring for animals. We continue to lift her family and friends in prayer during this incredibly difficult time,” the post said.
