TL/DR –
A 41-year-old Chicago woman, Taylor Casey, has gone missing during a yoga retreat in the Bahamas. The Royal Bahamas Police Force is currently searching for her and have met with family members who have traveled to the country. The U.S. State Department issued a travel advisory for the Bahamas in January due to violent crime and sexual assaults, and Casey’s mother was alerted something was wrong when retreat organizers called to ask if she had heard from her daughter.
Missing Woman from Chicago Vanishes on Bahamas Yoga Retreat
Taylor Casey, a 41-year-old woman from Chicago, disappeared while attending a yoga retreat in the Bahamas last week. Her concerned family is now urging her safe return. Casey was last spotted on 19 June near Paradise Island, adjacent to the Bahamian capital, Nassau.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force has initiated a search for the missing woman and have been in contact with her family members who have travelled to the island this week.
In January, the US State Department issued a travel advisory for the Bahamas due to an increase in violent crime and sexual assaults.
Casey’s mother, Colette Seymore, indicated in a CBS interview that the retreat’s organisers alerted her to the situation after they were unable to reach her daughter. Seymore last spoke to Casey on 18 June.
“Taylor sent me pictures from the beach in the Atlantic Ocean, saying ‘I miss you mom. Look, I’m at the beach’,” Seymore shared. Casey did not show up for a yoga class on 20 June, which raised alarms among the retreat organisers, Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat Bahamas.
On Facebook, the retreat’s officials requested anyone with information to inform the police and confirmed their cooperation with local authorities during the investigation. Casey’s friend, Emily Williams, expressed her concern to CBS saying, “What we’re hearing does not sound like Taylor, and we need more information”.
On 26 January, the US State Department’s travel warning for the Bahamas mentioned increasing reports of violent crime, burglaries, armed robberies, and sexual assaults in both tourist and non-tourist areas. The warning also advised travellers to be cautious when choosing short-term vacation rental properties where private security may be absent.
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