The family of Ashley Nicole Phillips has confirmed that a body found in a river in Barú de Pérez Zeledón is the missing 30-year-old U.S. tourist, ending a search that had drawn attention in Costa Rica and the United States.
Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ), confirmed that the body located in the Barú area corresponds to Phillips, who had been missing since June 3. Her family said through a GoFundMe update that Ashley had been found and could now be brought home.
Phillips was last seen in San Salvador de Barú, a rural area of Pérez Zeledón near the Nauyaca waterfalls. Her disappearance was reported to the OIJ on June 7. She disappeared while hiking in the area after heavy rains caused flooding and landslides.
The body was found Wednesday in the area where rescue teams had been searching. The Costa Rican Red Cross located the female body with no signs of life roughly 600 meters from where the incident was believed to have occurred. The body was recovered and turned over to the OIJ for official identification.
Relatives of Phillips are now in Costa Rica and have completed a key step at the Judicial Morgue. The OIJ said that family members went to the morgue Saturday and authorized a funeral service to retrieve the body. The body remained at the Judicial Morgue while the necessary paperwork was completed.
The case had triggered a days-long search by emergency crews, volunteers and local residents in difficult terrain. Heavy rain, river conditions and unstable ground complicated the work in the southern zone, where waterfalls and mountain trails attract both Costa Ricans and foreign visitors.
Authorities have not publicly released a final cause of death. Earlier reports said Phillips may have been swept away by a sudden rise in water near the Nauyaca area, but that version has not been confirmed as the official conclusion of the investigation. Her family described Phillips as joyful, adventurous and deeply connected to nature and animals. In their message, relatives thanked those who donated, shared her story and prayed for her, saying additional support would go toward arrangements to celebrate her life.
The U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica had previously said it was aware of reports involving a missing U.S. citizen and that American officials can help families navigate missing-person procedures abroad, while citing privacy limits on further details. Phillips’ death is also a reminder of the risks that can come with hiking near rivers and waterfalls during Costa Rica’s rainy season. Sudden water surges can happen quickly after heavy rain, even when weather appears calmer at the trailhead or in nearby communities.
