A California family is holding onto hope as the search continues in Costa Rica for 30-year-old Ashley Nicole Phillips, who disappeared earlier this month while in the Pérez Zeledón area. Phillips, from the Santa Clarita area, was reported missing to Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency on June 7. Authorities say she was last seen on June 3 in San Salvador de Barú, a rural mountain community in Pérez Zeledón, in the country’s southern zone.
Her family has said she went missing during a hike after severe weather brought flooding and mudslides to the area. Search teams and local volunteers have continued looking for signs of her, but as of Monday, there has been no public confirmation that she has been found.
Costa Rican authorities have not confirmed exactly what happened to Phillips. Local reports have cited unverified accounts that she may have been swept away by a flash flood, known in Costa Rica as a cabeza de agua, but investigators have not confirmed that version.
The case comes after several days of heavy rain across parts of Costa Rica. The National Emergency Commission raised alerts for the Pacific and Central Valley earlier this month because of intense rainfall, saturated soils and the risk of flooding and landslides.
For Phillips’ relatives, the days since her disappearance have become an exhausting wait for answers. A fundraising page set up for the family says donations will help support volunteers involved in the search, including supplies, meals and equipment.
The disappearance has drawn attention in both Costa Rica and Southern California, where family and friends are asking the public to share information and keep the search active. The OIJ has asked anyone with information about Phillips’ whereabouts to contact the confidential line 800-8000-645.
Until authorities release more details, the central facts remain limited: Phillips was last seen June 3 in San Salvador de Barú, she was reported missing June 7, and search efforts remain focused on finding her in the Pérez Zeledón area.
