Family in 'living hell' after California woman vanishes on yoga retreat in Guatemala

A Southern California woman's yoga retreat in Guatemala turned into a "living hell" for her family when she vanished days after her arrival without a trace.

Nancy Ng, 29, of Monterey Park in Los Angeles County, disappeared soon after arriving Oct. 14 for a weeklong yoga retreat at Lake Atitlán, a popular tourist destination within a volcanic crater in the Guatemalan highlands. The woman's family told the Los Angeles news station KTLA that Ng had attended the same retreat in 2022 and enjoyed it so much that she wanted to return.

But days later, the organizer of the retreat called them to say Ng had vanished just a few days into her trip. Ng was officially reported missing later that week, on Oct. 19.

“The last two weeks have been a living hell because when we first got the news that she was missing, we just had so many questions,” Nicky Ng, Nancy’s sister, told KTLA last week. “What happened? Where is she now? Is there a chance she’s alive? We didn’t know anything.”

The State Department and the FBI are investigating Ng's disappearance, along with Guatemalan authorities, according to her family. The State Department confirmed Wednesday to USA TODAY that it is in contact with local authorities "and closely monitoring their investigation."

"The U.S. Department of State and our embassies and consulates abroad have no greater priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas," a State Department spokesperson said in a statement. "Due to privacy considerations, we have nothing further to share."

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Ng's family share updates on GoFundMe

Updates shared through a GoFundMe campaign created by the family offer details about what happened to Ng, as well as updates about the search.

The last update came on Oct. 30 when Jared Lopez, Nicky Ng's partner, who launched the GoFundMe, said the family was working with Black Wolf Helicopters, a private search and rescue team in Guatemala.

Chris Sharpe, co-owner of Black Wolf Helicopters, told USA TODAY he led a team on a search in the days after Ng vanished. But after scouring the lake near the resort with boats, drones, divers and helicopters, Sharpe said, the team came up empty-handed.

Lopez also claimed on the GoFundMe page that the search was hampered by the refusal of key witnesses, many of whom quickly returned to the United States, to come forward and share information.

Sharpe said his team has postponed the search until further information comes to light. "I do foresee that the search be restarted as soon as the prime witness comes forward," he said.

Ng was last seen while kayaking with other tourists who had come to Guatemala for the retreat, the Guatemalan Public Ministry said in a statement Tuesday to CBS News. Ng and another person broke off from the group and kayaked a mile into the lake, where she reportedly jumped into the lake to swim.

That's when she disappeared, the ministry told CBS News.

"With every passing day, our family nightmare gets worse," Lopez wrote. "Our fears of never finding her more real."

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Family hopes to raise money to support search

Money raised on the GoFundme are intended to help support the Ng family and the search, including helping pay for helicopter teams, divers equipment and rescue boat teams.

Lopez wrote that the money may also go toward the "potential use" of submarine and sonar equipment, as well as travel expenses and other financial support for the family.

In the fundraiser, Lopez describes Ng as "a caring daughter, a loving sister, and a supportive friend."

"She loves yoga, traveling, hiking with her family, and cuddling with her cat," Lopez said. "She has a kind heart, a big smile, and can talk to anyone about anything."

Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com