Chicago woman's cellphone found 1 week after she went missing on Paradise Island in Bahamas

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The phone of a Chicago woman missing in the Bahamas has been found in the water in the area, local officials told CNN.

Taylor Casey was in the midst of a month-long retreat with Yoga Retreat Bahamas on Paradise Island to become a yoga instructor when she stopped showing up to classes on June 20.

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Paradise Island is a small resort enclave just off the shore of the island of New Providence.

Authorities said Wednesday that they found Casey's cellphone in the water, but it's unclear the distance it was from the yoga retreat.

Her family said they are doing everything they can to find her after speaking with police on the island nation Wednesday.

Casey's mother said she's "deeply concerned for Taylor's safety and well-being," saying Casey "would never disappear like this."

"Things were difficult and intense," her best friend Emily Williams said. "This is something no one wants to be doing, but we did that today and it's not an easy process."

The 41-year-old's family met with police, and said they were relieved to get an update on the investigation and find out what resources are being used to find her. Loved ones told ABC7 Chicago that Casey was always close with her family, so it was strange to stop hearing from her.

"I was just at home, waiting for Taylor to show me some of those yoga moves," her mother Colette Seymore said. "That's what Taylor said she was going to come do."

Seymore has Casey's belongings, and police have the missing woman's journal.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force issued a missing person poster, alerting the public two days after she was reported missing.

Drones, search-and-rescue dogs and divers are being used in the investigation.

Casey's disappearance comes as a Level Two advisory issued by the U.S. State Department in January remains in effect, urging travelers to "exercise increased caution in The Bahamas due to crime."

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The advisory notes the majority of crime occurs on the islands of Grand Bahama and New Providence. It adds that violent crime, including burglaries, armed robberies and sexual assaults, impact both tourist and non-tourist areas.

She went to the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat to fulfill a long-term goal of deepening her practice. Her family said they felt safe with her being at this retreat with many others, and are holding onto the positive energy they said Casey always brings.

"Taylor loved yoga. She's been doing it for 15 years," her mother said. "Taylor just loved people. Taylor is loving, caring, always so quick to help people."

Williams and Seymore said they will be back out looking for her Thursday. The family has started several social media pages to help with their search efforts, and are asking everyone to spread the word to help find her.

Casey is described as 5-feet, 10 inches tall and 145 pounds. She has brown hair and eyes.

"Taylor is a real community leader, has a huge community. Many people love Taylor. Taylor loves many people. And to know Taylor is to have a friend, who can see you authentically and who can also see others, definitely the kind of person who can contribute to your growth and leadership in a really gentle way, a really substantial way," Williams said.

CNN contributed to this report.