LIMON, Costa Rica ? Just a few hours after her parents reported her missing yesterday aftertoon, 21-year-old Portia Metzler e-mailed her mom from Costa Rica saying she was OK.

Metzler’s parents became alarmed after she failed to arrive on her scheduled flight home Monday. Before last night, the last anyone had heard from Metzler was Oct. 12 when she e-mailed her parents saying she would be going hiking with a friend.

Metzler’s father Roger, who lives in Houston, reported her missing to the U.S. Embassy yesterday afternoon.

Before the search could begin, Metzler e-mailed her mother Janette, who lives in north Lawrence, to explain she had been camping for the last two weeks.