A 41-year-old Chicago woman “mysteriously disappeared” from a luxury yoga retreat in the Bahamas months after the State Department updated a travel warning for travelers to the islands amid a wave of violent crime that has swept the island. region.
Taylor Casey’s mother described herself as “deeply concerned” for her well-being on a Facebook page created to assist in search efforts. “We love Taylor and we 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 outside New Providence, also known as Nassau, the Royal Bahamas Police Force said in a statement. .
The retreat was described by Gwyneth Paltrow. goop post as “extraterrestrial” as it is “flanked by dense tropical gardens and white sand beaches.”
In January, the State Department raised the travel advisory for Americans heading to The Bahamas to level two. U.S. citizens are advised to “exercise increased caution” due to rising crime levels.
New Providence, along with Grand Bahama, was one of the islands highlighted as potentially dangerous for tourists.
The missing poster published by the Bahamas police surrounding the disappearance of Taylor Casey on June 19
“Taylor would never disappear like that,” Casey’s mother said. She went on to say that her daughter was eager to share what she learned at 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 was traveling alone and arrived at the islands on June 3.
“Taylor would never disappear like that,” Seymore said. She went on to say that her daughter was eager to share what she learned at the retreat with friends in Chicago upon her return.
seymore he told CNN that she and other members of her family will travel to the Bahamas on Tuesday to assist in the search efforts.
The Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat Bahamas said Monday that Casey went missing and they are working with police.
The alarm was raised when Casey did not attend the morning session on June 19. The center said she was last seen the night before.
‘The Ashram is asking anyone with information about Mrs Casey to contact local police. Meanwhile, she is collaborating with the authorities in the investigation,” the center stated.
The Sivananda Yoga organization has similar headquarters in New York, California, India, France and Austria.
According to the missing poster, Casey is a “light-skinned black woman, approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall and 145 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.” She has natural hair, often covered by a durag.
The Sivananda Ashram yoga retreat was described as “otherworldly” by Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle website Goop.
Taylor Casey’s mother described herself as “deeply concerned” for her well-being on a Facebook page created to assist in search efforts.
Casey is originally from Hazel Crest, a Chicago suburb about 20 miles south of the city center.
Following Taylor’s disappearance, CBS News Travel editor Peter Greenberg attributed the rise in violence in the Bahamas to gang activity.
‘The reason the State Department issued that advisory is because of the increase in gang crime in the Bahamas. Since there is an increase in gang crime situations in places like Mexico or Jamaica. That doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t go there.
“The problems that happen to any American traveler are when, say, you go out at night with friends or alone in a neighborhood you don’t know, or don’t understand, or are unfamiliar with and don’t travel in a group.”
“That’s when they can get into trouble,” Greenberg added.
A specific warning for American tourists included taking boat tours, as they are “not consistently regulated.”
“The majority of crimes occur on the islands of New Providence (Nassau) and Grand Bahama (Freeport),” the notice reads.
‘Violent crime, such as robbery, armed robbery and sexual assault, occurs 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.’
Despite the warnings, the Bahamas remains a very popular destination for American tourists. During spring break, it was the second most popular destination, travel insurance expert Megan Walch told Chicago’s Daily News. WGN Television.
‘Always be aware of your surroundings. “Don’t open the door to your hotel or the place you’re staying if you don’t know who it is,” Walch added.