CNN (CNN) The family of a 41-year-old Chicago woman who went missing in the Bahamas says they are “deeply concerned” for her safety, as she was visiting the islands for a yoga retreat.
According to the Royal Bahamas Police, the woman, named as Taylor Casey, was last seen on June 19 near Paradise Island, a small resort town off the coast of New Providence.
A missing person information flyer distributed by police did not provide further details about the circumstances of her disappearance or whether any suspicious activity was suspected.
CNN has reached out to police and the yoga retreat for comment.
Casey’s family are now appealing for the public’s help in finding her and are urging anyone with information to contact Bahamian police.
“We are deeply concerned about Taylor’s safety and well-being,” Casey’s mother, Collette Seymour, said in a statement posted to a Facebook page dedicated to locating Casey. “We love Taylor and want her to come home.”
A yoga practitioner for 15 years, Taylor attended the yoga retreat “to achieve a long-term goal of deepening her yoga practice,” her family said in a statement.
Ms Seymour said she was concerned her daughter may have been at risk because she was “eager to tell others about her experience at the yoga retreat when she returned home”.
“There’s no way Taylor could just disappear like this,” her mother added.
In a brief interview with CNN, Seymour said she was planning to fly to the Bahamas on Tuesday but declined to comment further.
CNN has reached out to a family spokesperson for more information.
Casey’s family describes her as “a light-skinned black female, approximately 5’10”, weighing 145 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Natural hair, which is often covered by a durag.”
In January, the U.S. State Department issued a Level 2 travel advisory for Americans traveling to the Bahamas, warning them to “exercise increased caution” due to the risk of crime.
The advisory noted that most of the crimes occurred on Grand Bahama and New Providence (the islands near where Casey was reported missing), adding that violent crimes such as theft, armed robbery and sexual assaults affect both tourist and non-tourist areas.
CNN’s Carlos Suarez and Elizabeth Wolf contributed to this report.
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