A 41-year-old Chicago woman has “mysteriously disappeared” from a luxurious yoga retreat in the Bahamas, months after the State Department updated a travel warning for those traveling to the islands amid a violent crime wave that has swept through the region.
Taylor Casey’s mother described herself as “deeply concerned” for her well-being on a Facebook page set up to help with the search. “We love Taylor and want her home,” Colette Seymore added.
Casey, who goes by the nickname Cat, was last seen on Wednesday, June 19, on Paradise Island, a resort just outside New Providence, also known as Nassau, Royal Bahamas police said in a statement.
The retreat was described by Gwyneth Paltrow Goop publication as ‘otherworldly’ as ‘flanked by dense tropical gardens and white sandy beaches.’
In January, the State Department increased its travel advisory warning for Americans heading to the Bahamas to level two. US citizens are being advised to ‘exercise more caution’ due to rising crime rates.
New Providence, along with Grand Bahama, was among the islands identified as potentially dangerous for tourists.
The missing poster released by police in the Bahamas surrounding the June 19 disappearance of Taylor Casey
“Taylor would never disappear like this,” Casey’s mother said. She went on to say that her daughter was eager to share what she learned during the retreat with friends
According to a missing poster, Casey has been a yoga practitioner for 15 years and was at the retreat to “fulfill a long-term goal of deepening her practice.” She traveled alone and arrived in the islands on June 3.
“Taylor would never disappear like this,” Seymore said. She went on to say that her daughter was eager to share what she learned at the retreat with friends in Chicago when she returned.
Seymore told CNN that she and other family members will travel to the Bahamas on Tuesday to assist in the search effort.
The Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat Bahamas said Monday that Casey has disappeared and that they are working with law enforcement officials.
The alarm was raised when Casey failed to attend the morning session on June 19. The center said she was last seen the night before.
“The Ashram asks anyone with information about Ms. Casey to contact local police. In the meantime, it is working with authorities on their investigation,” the center said.
The Sivananda Yoga organization has similar locations in New York, California, India, France and Austria.
According to the missing poster, Casey is a light-skinned black woman, approximately 6 feet tall and weighing 130 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. She has natural hair, often covered with a durag.”
The Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat was described as ‘different’ by Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle website, Goop
Taylor Casey’s mother described herself as “deeply concerned” for her well-being on a Facebook page set up to help with the search
Casey was born in Hazel Crest, a Chicago suburb about 20 miles south of downtown.
After Taylor’s disappearance… CBS News Travel editor Peter Greenberg blames the increase in violence in the Bahamas on gang activity.
“The reason why the Department of State has issued this advisory is because of increased gang crimes in the Bahamas. Because there has been an increase in crime situations involving gangs in places like Mexico or Jamaica. That doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t go there.”
“What every American traveler gets into trouble with is when, let’s say, they go out at night with friends or alone in a neighborhood that they don’t know, or that they don’t understand, or that’s unfamiliar to them, and they’re not traveling in a group.’
“Then they could get into trouble,” Greenberg added.
A specific warning for American tourists included taking boat tours as they are “not consistently regulated.”
“The majority of crime occurs on the islands of New Providence (Nassau) and Grand Bahama (Freeport),” the advisory reads.
‘Violent crime, such as burglaries, armed robberies and sexual violence, occurs in both tourist and non-tourist areas. Be vigilant when staying in short-term vacation rentals where private security companies are not present.”
Despite the warnings, the Bahamas remains an extremely popular destination for American tourists. It was the second most popular destination during spring break, travel insurance expert Megan Walch told Chicago’s WGN TV.
‘Always take your surroundings into account. “Don’t answer the door at your hotel or where you’re staying if you don’t know who it is,” Walch added.