CHICAGO (WLS) — The family of a Chicago woman who went missing in the Bahamas said they are doing everything they can to find her after speaking with police in the island nation on Wednesday.
Taylor Casey was on a month-long retreat at Yoga Retreat Bahamas in Paradise Island to become a yoga instructor, but stopped attending classes on June 20.
Casey’s mother said she was “deeply concerned for Taylor’s safety and well-being” and that “Taylor would never disappear like this.”
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“It was hard and stressful,” said best friend Emily Williams. “It’s something no one wants to do, but we did it today. It’s not an easy process.”
Family members of 41-year-old Casey met with police today and said they were relieved to get an update on the investigation and what steps are being taken to find Casey. Family members told ABC7 Casey was always close with the family so it’s odd they’ve lost contact with her.
“I was just sitting at home waiting for Taylor to show me some yoga moves,” her mother, Collette Seymour, said. “She said she was coming.”
The Royal Bahamas Police Force issued a missing person poster to alert the public two days after she was reported missing.
Casey’s disappearance comes as a Level 2 advisory issued by the US State Department in January remains in effect, urging travellers to “exercise increased caution in the Bahamas due to high crime levels.”
Also see | U.S. issues travel warning for Bahamas due to rising crime rates
Casey attended the yoga retreat with the goal of deepening her yoga practice, and her family said they felt safe knowing she was on the retreat with so many other people and appreciated the positive energy she always brought.
“Taylor loved yoga and had been doing it for 15 years,” her mother said. “Taylor just loved people. She was loving and caring and always quick to help others.”
Williams and Seymour said they plan to look for her again on Thursday night. The family has set up several social media pages to help with the search effort and are urging everyone to spread the word to help find her.
Taylor’s family said they plan to work with local authorities to search for him once he arrives in the Bahamas on Tuesday.
A US State Department spokesperson issued a statement saying:
We are aware of reports of Americans going missing in the Bahamas.
When a U.S. citizen goes missing, we work closely with local authorities to conduct search efforts and share as much information as we can with families.
For the Department of State, there is no higher priority than the welfare and safety of our citizens overseas, and we stand ready to provide assistance to Americans and their families in need.
Due to privacy considerations, we will refrain from making any further comments.
Yoga Retreat Bahamas released the following statement:
“Yoga Retreat Bahamas has confirmed the disappearance of a participant from a yoga certification retreat and has requested police to investigate. The organization has also notified the U.S. Embassy and Taylor Casey’s family. Casey’s disappearance was discovered on June 20th when she failed to attend her morning class. She was last seen at the retreat late on the evening of June 19th. The organization is currently working with law enforcement.”
Her family are appealing for anyone with information about her whereabouts to come forward, saying every lead is important in helping to find her.
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