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California Hiker Missing in Costa Rica as Searches Paused for Safety

Heavy rains from Tropical Storm Cristina and the Intertropical Convergence Zone are forcing a pause in searches, raising landslide risk nationwide.

Overview

  • Ashley Phillips, 30, went missing while hiking in Costa Rica on June 2 after sudden flash floods and mudslides swept the area.
  • Family and volunteer searches began in the days after her disappearance but were temporarily paused because sustained heavy rain and unstable terrain made rescue operations unsafe.
  • Costa Rica’s emergency agency (CNE) has issued a nationwide green alert warning of saturated soils, flooding and greater landslide danger as the rainy season intensifies.
  • It remains publicly unclear whether Costa Rican authorities or the U.S. government are actively coordinating searches, and reporters have sought comment from both.
  • Phillips’s family set up a GoFundMe on June 9 to support volunteer search efforts and related costs, and the fundraiser has raised roughly $14,000–$15,000 of a $20,000 goal while searches await safer conditions.