Footage shows missing California woman kayaking before disappearance

The footage shows the 29-year-old waving happily at the camera while kayaking out onto Lake Atitlan on Oct. 19. Ng, of Monterey Park in Southern California, disappeared while on a yoga retreat at in the Guatemalan Highlands. Despite a wide-ranging search effort from both a private search-and-rescue team and Guatemalan authorities — involving drones, helicopters, boats and divers — Ng has not been found. 

Ng’s family have pushed back against Guatemalan prosecutors’ claims that Ng drowned on the lake after leaving her kayak to swim. Ng’s sister Nicky Ng told ABC7 in Los Angeles that despite other kayakers being out on the lake when Nancy disappeared, she was not reported missing to authorities for 24 hours. 

“There are people that witnessed what happened, within the group, that haven’t come forward,” Nicky Ng told ABC7. “We’re racking our brain as to why they wouldn’t want to come forward and help, if nothing nefarious happened.” She also revealed that her father is sleeping with the phone by his bed in case a ransom call comes in. An FBI spokesperson told SFGATE earlier this week that they do not have a statement on the case, but ABC7 reports their agents are now involved and have offered local authorities support. 

Ng reportedly works for the Alhambra Unified School District in LA County, helping students with disabilities, and had previously attended the same yoga retreat in the Guatemalan Highlands last year. 

The newly released footage of Ng, shared by ABC7, can be seen below.