Ashley Phillips disappeared June 3 near Barú in Pérez Zeledón after severe weather hit the mountain area.
PÉREZ ZELEDÓN, Costa Rica — Costa Rican rescue officials found a woman’s body Wednesday near the area where Ashley Phillips, a 30-year-old Santa Clarita-area woman, disappeared during heavy rain and flooding earlier this month.
The discovery marked the most serious turn yet in the search for Phillips, who had been missing since June 3 in the Barú area of Pérez Zeledón, a mountainous region in Costa Rica’s southern zone. Officials had not publicly confirmed the body’s identity as of Wednesday evening. The case remained under review by Costa Rican authorities, including the Red Cross and the Judicial Investigation Agency.
Phillips was last seen in the San Salvador de Barú area, where family members said she often walked in the jungle and spent time near waterfalls. Costa Rican media reported that the body was found near the place where Phillips was believed to have disappeared. The Costa Rican Red Cross confirmed that crews located a female body without vital signs during search work in the area. Authorities said Phillips may have been swept away by a sudden surge of water while she was near the Nauyaca waterfalls, though investigators had not confirmed the full chain of events.
The search began after Phillips was reported missing June 7, four days after her last known contact. Her stepfather, Jeff Jonkey, told The Signal that he and Phillips’ mother, Lesley, last spoke with Phillips on June 2. Her mother exchanged text messages with her the next day, he said, and then the family heard nothing more. Jonkey said volunteers and rescue crews gave the family a general idea of what may have happened. “My guess is she wasn’t aware of this weather that was occurring higher up, and she went for her swim and was washed down river,” he said.
Phillips had moved to Costa Rica about a year ago, family members said. She was a Valencia High School graduate and former College of the Canyons student who taught yoga while exploring a quieter life abroad. Jonkey said she often sought out nature walks for meditation and peace. “She just liked living there, so she was exploring her options,” he said. He described her time in Costa Rica as a period of healing, seclusion and independence. The family said she loved animals and the natural world, and those close to her had begun discussing ways to honor that part of her life as the search stretched on.
Rainy-season weather complicated the response. Costa Rica’s wet season runs roughly from May to November, and authorities had warned of heavy rain, saturated soil, floods and landslides across parts of the country. Family members said the search was paused at one point because conditions were unsafe. Crews had used divers, drones, dogs, rappelling teams and water searchers in the river and waterfall area. Jonkey said volunteers carried much of the search work. “Every person that’s on this river searching for her are volunteers,” he said, adding that the family was grateful for the people who kept looking despite the terrain and weather.
The case drew attention in both Costa Rica and Southern California as the family sought information and support. A fundraising campaign created for Phillips and her family said donations would help support search volunteers and also help relatives plan a meaningful way to celebrate her life. By midweek, the campaign had raised about $17,000. A U.S. State Department spokesperson said the department was aware of reports of a missing American in Costa Rica and could assist families with missing-person reports and local procedures. The spokesperson said privacy rules limited what more could be released.
Costa Rican authorities were expected to handle the formal identification and any forensic review after the body was recovered. No cause of death had been released, and officials had not announced whether the case was being treated as an accident or whether any other possibilities remained under investigation. The Judicial Investigation Agency had previously issued a missing-person bulletin for Phillips, listing her last known location as Barú in Pérez Zeledón. The agency’s next steps were expected to include confirming the identity of the body, reviewing the recovery site and notifying relatives through official channels.
The search area is known for steep jungle terrain, rivers and waterfalls that can change quickly during heavy rain. Jonkey said Phillips may have been in clear weather where she stood while rain fell miles away at higher elevation. That kind of storm pattern can send fast-moving water into lower areas with little warning. Rescue crews searched through difficult conditions as family members waited for word from abroad. Jonkey said Phillips had been happy in Costa Rica and was living the kind of life she wanted. “Honestly, she was in Costa Rica, living her best life on her own terms,” he said.
As of Wednesday night, the body had been found but had not been publicly identified by name. The next milestone is the official confirmation process by Costa Rican authorities and any findings released after the forensic review.
Author note: Last updated June 18, 2026.