Desperate search for California woman who vanished 10 days ago while hiking in Costa Rica

By EMMA RICHTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 16:12, 15 June 2026 | Updated: 16:28, 15 June 2026 A massive search has been launched for a California woman who vanished while hiking in Costa Rica.  Ashley Phillips, 30, disappeared on June 2 after disastrous flash flooding slammed the Central American country, her desperate family said.  Phillips was on a hike when flooding and mudslides suddenly took over, her loved ones said on a GoFundMe page.  'For the past seven days, the Jonkey and Phillips family have been living through every parent’s and sibling’s worst nightmare,' the fundraiser read.  In an update on Friday - 10 days since Phillips went missing - Kaylee Baker, a family friend, said that the search for her has been 'temporarily paused' due to the intense weather in the area.  A green alert has been issued in Costa Rica, meaning there is an increased risk of heavy rain, flooding, saturated soils, and landslides, according to the National Commission for Risk Prevention and Emergency Response (CNE) Costa Rica.  Once weather conditions improve, the search for Phillips will continue, but the country is in the thick of its rainy season right now. Tropical Storm Cristina, a low-pressure system, is also near the region right now, but is not set to directly hit Costa Rica. Still, officials have warned that it is still bringing constant rain, strong winds, and rough seas.   Ashley Phillips, 30, disappeared on June 2 after disastrous flash flooding slammed the Central American country, her desperate family said It's unclear if local authorities are actively searching for Phillips, or whether the US government is assisting in the efforts.  The Daily Mail contacted the US State Department and Costa Rica authorities for comment.  For now, her family and friends have asked the public to donate to help the 'dedicated volunteers who have worked tirelessly over the past 10 days to search for Ashley,' Baker said.  A portion of donations will also go toward 'a meaningful way to celebrate her life'. Breaking news... updates to follow.   No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.