California woman disappears while on a yoga retreat in Guatemala, family in ‘living hell’

A Southern California woman has disappeared from a yoga retreat at a popular tourist spot in Guatemala – and her family says it’s been a “living hell” trying to get any information about her disappearance.

Nancy Ng, 29, from Monterey Park, vanished on Oct. 19 while staying near Lake Atitlán, a large body of water located within a volcanic crater.

After leaving for what was supposed to be a relaxing getaway on Oct. 14, the retreat’s organizer called her family days later to say she had disappeared.

“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,” Nancy’s sister Nicky Ng told KTLA.

“What happened? Where is she now? Is there a chance she’s alive? We didn’t know anything.”

It’s unclear when exactly Ng, a former Cal State law student who now assists students with disabilities at the Alhambra Unified School District, disappeared, her family said. She was reported missing Oct. 19.

Her little sister said it was her second year attending the yoga retreat, and spoke fondly of the experience and the beautiful area where she was staying.

“Last year, she woke up every morning just to spend some time there by herself without the group and this year was going to be more exciting because they had planned activities on the lake.”

Since her disappearance, her family has been in contact with the State Department, the FBI and local search and rescue teams in Guatemala.

While the Guatemalan government is leading the investigation with help from the FBI, local rescue teams there have searched about 95% of the lake by air and land along with divers and drones, her family told the outlet.

“We don’t know where she went in, where she went missing because there’s no corroboration of that,” said Chris Sharpe, the co-owner of Black Wolf Helicopters, who is helping in the search efforts. “We’ve got a rough idea, but it varies from one side of the lake to the other.”

According to Sharpe, the people who may have been with Nancy on the day she disappeared have not been forthcoming with information, making it more difficult to build leads in the case.

Even with the challenges, Ng’s family remains focused on securing her safe return home.

“My role here is just to make sure no stone is left unturned and make sure that we try everything we can possible,” her brother Jonathan Ng said.

Nancy, the eldest of four siblings, has a penchant for adventure and loves yoga, hiking and traveling, her family noted in a GoFundMe set up to help in the search efforts.

“She has a kind heart, a big smile, and can talk to anyone about anything (and often, everything). She’s a caring daughter, a loving sister, and a supportive friend,” the fundraiser read.

“We just want her to know that we love her so much and we just really want to bring her home,” Nicky added.

The family is privately funding the search efforts for Ng.

“Time is of the essence, and we are racing against the clock to bring Nancy home,” her family said in a statement to KTLA. “It has been an ongoing nightmare, not knowing what happened to Nancy or if we will ever get her back. All my family wants is to bring our sister/daughter home. Please help us do so.”