A Chicago, Illinois woman, Taylor Casey, 41, has vanished while attending a yoga retreat in the Bahamas, leaving her family deeply worried and urging for any information regarding her whereabouts. Casey was last seen around Paradise Island on June 19, 2024, a well-known resort area off the shore of New Providence Island.

Casey traveled to the Bahamas to participate in a retreat at the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat, where she planned to deepen her yoga practice. According to the retreat center, her disappearance was reported after she failed to attend a morning yoga session on June 20. The Royal Bahamas Police Force subsequently issued a missing person bulletin, highlighting her disappearance and asking for public assistance in locating her.

“We are deeply concerned for Taylor’s safety and well-being,” said her mother, Colette Seymore. “We love Taylor and want her home.” The family has expressed that Taylor, who has been practicing yoga for 15 years, was eagerly looking forward to sharing her experiences from the retreat upon her return, making her sudden disappearance even more alarming.

Earlier this year, the U.S. State Department issued a travel advisory for Americans visiting the Bahamas, advising them to exercise increased caution due to crime. Most crimes occur on the islands of New Providence (Nassau) and Grand Bahama (Freeport), with incidents such as burglaries, armed robberies, and sexual assaults affecting both tourist and non-tourist areas.

Casey’s family is expected to travel to the Bahamas this week to assist local authorities as part of their desperate search efforts. They have set up a Facebook group to coordinate the search and share updates. “Taylor would never disappear like this,” Seymore stated, emphasizing that her daughter’s behavior is highly out of character and suggesting that she may be in danger.

Casey is described as a light-skinned Black woman, approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing 145 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. The Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat is cooperating fully with the authorities, urging anyone with information to contact the local police.

The retreat center said, “The Ashram is asking anyone with information on Ms. Casey to contact the local police. In the interim, it collaborates with the authorities on their investigation.”