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The body of a California woman who went missing in a remote area of Costa Rica earlier this month has been confirmed to be 30-year-old Ashley Phillips.
“With broken hearts, we share the news that Ashley’s body has been found,” the family said in an update on GoFundMe.
Phillips, from Santa Clarita, vanished on June 3 after going on a hike near the Nauyaca waterfalls, when a devastating storm unleashed heavy rains that caused flooding and landslides.
Emergency crews and volunteers looked for Phillips for days — periodically having to pause search efforts due to the difficult weather conditions.
By the time a body was found and pulled out of the water on Wednesday, she had been missing for more than two weeks.
Local news site Tico Times reported she was found by Costa Rican Red Cross with no signs of life about 600 meters from a site battered by landslides and flooding.
Her body was identified on Thursday.
While the family is mourning the loss of “a loving daughter, sister, and friend,” they found some solace in knowing that Phillip’s body 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 read. “Ashley was confident in who God created her to be and lived life with a spirit of adventure.”
Costa Rica authorities have not publicly released the cause of death and an investigation is ongoing, but previous reports claimed Phillips was likely swept away from the storm.
Phillips was staying at HOME Farm (which stands for “Heaven On Mother Earth”) in Costa Rica’s Diamanté Valley, a regenerative sanctuary nestled in the heart of the rainforest resting on 55 acres of lush tropical jungle and sitting atop the Nauyaca waterfalls.
The GoFundMe page has raised more than $20,000 for the family’s celebration of life arrangements.
“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.
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