The family of Taylor Casey, the Chicago woman who went missing while on a yoga retreat in the Bahamas, said they are “deeply concerned” for her “safety and well-being” following her disappearance.
Casey, 41, of Chicago, was last seen on Paradise Island in Nassau on June 19, according to a flier posted on the Royal Bahamas Police Department’s Facebook page. Family members said Casey was attending a Sivananda Ashram yoga retreat on the island when she went missing.
“We are deeply concerned about Taylor’s safety and well-being,” Taylor’s mother, Collette Seymour, said in a press release posted to a public Facebook group called “Find Taylor Casey.” “We love Taylor and want her to come home.”
According to the statement, the Royal Bahamas Police Force issued a missing person poster on June 21 to inform the public of Casey’s disappearance.
“We believe that Taylor is at risk because she wanted to share her experience at the yoga retreat with others when she returned home,” Seymour said in a statement. “There is no way Taylor would disappear like this.”
The announcement added that a group including Seymour will visit Paradise Island and Nassau to coordinate with local authorities.
In January, the United States issued a “Level 2” travel advisory for the Bahamas, warning travelers to “exercise increased caution in the Bahamas due to crime.”
“The majority of crimes occur in New Providence (Nassau) and Grand Bahama (Freeport),” the advisory states. “Violent crimes, including theft, armed robbery and sexual assault, occur in both tourist and non-tourist areas. Caution is advised when staying in short-term vacation rental properties that do not have a private security company on-site.”
NBC Chicago has reached out to Casey’s family for more information and this story will be updated as more information becomes available.