Editor's Note: The Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat has issued a statement amid the search for Taylor Casey. The latest updates on this story can be found here. Our original story continues below.
The family of Taylor Casey, a Chicago woman who went missing in the Bahamas during a yoga retreat, spoke out, saying they are "deeply concerned" for Casey's "safety and well-being" following her disappearance.
Casey, 41, of Chicago, was last seen June 19 on Paradise Island in Nassau, a flier posted to the Royal Bahamas Police Force Facebook page showed. According to family members, Casey had been attending a Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat on the island when she went missing.
"We are deeply concerned for Taylor's safety and well-being," Taylor’s mother Colette Seymore said in a press release posted to a "Find Taylor Casey" public Facebook group. “We love Taylor and want her home.”
According to the release, the Royal Bahamas Police Force issued a missing persons poster June 21, alerting the public to Casey's disappearance.
“I believe Taylor is in danger because she was eager to share her yoga retreat experience with others upon her return,” Seymore said in the release. “Taylor would never disappear like this.”
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The release added that a group, including Seymore, is set to travel to Paradise Island and Nassau to coordinate with local authorities.
In January, the U.S. issued a "Level 2" Travel Advisory for The Bahamas, warning that travelers should "exercise increased caution in The Bahamas due to crime."
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"The majority of crime occurs on New Providence (Nassau) and Grand Bahama (Freeport) islands," the advisory said. "Violent crime, such as burglaries, armed robberies, and sexual assaults, occur in both tourist and non-tourist areas. Be vigilant when staying at short-term vacation rental properties where private security companies do not have a presence. "
NBC Chicago has contacted Casey's family in an effort to learn more. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
