LOS ANGELES, CA – Rescuers in Costa Rica have recovered a body from a river in the area where a 30-year-old California woman vanished more than two weeks ago during a devastating tropical storm.
Disappearance in the Rainforest
Ashley Phillips, 30, went missing while hiking near the HOME Farm sanctuary in Costa Rica’s Diamanté Valley. The regenerative sanctuary sits on 55 acres of dense jungle atop the Nauyaca waterfalls, an isolated area with limited emergency services.
According to her family, Phillips last spoke to her father about a baby pineapple growing near her stay before severe weather triggered widespread flooding and mudslides. Costa Rican authorities believe she was swept away in a “water-related accident.”
Arduous Search and Recovery Efforts
Search operations faced severe challenges over the last fortnight. The torrid weather conditions and dangerous terrain forced teams to temporarily pause their efforts before resuming this week.
A video released by local authorities showed harnessed rescue workers extracting a body from a river in the search zone. While officials have not yet confirmed the identity of the body, the Phillips family expressed devastation but noted they take solace in the possibility of bringing her home.
Community Rallies to Support Family
A community fundraiser launched on June 9 has raised over $18,000 of its $20,000 goal to assist the family during what they described as “every parent’s worst nightmare.”
The National Meteorological Institute of Costa Rica had warned of ongoing severe weather patterns during the period of her hike, which severely hampered initial rescue drones and ground teams.
