Missing Kentucky Woman: Search In The US Virgin Islands Delayed Due To Tropical Storm Karen

[CORRECTION: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Lucy Schuhmann stayed at an AirBnb.]

The search for a Kentucky woman who went missing in the Virgin Islands has been delayed because of Tropical Storm Karen.

Lucy Schuhmann, 48, was first reported missing on Thursday after her bags were found unattended at a Coral Bay vacation rental on St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. She did not check out at the scheduled time and her belongings were discovered by the rental owner. Her rental car was found shortly after in the Virgin Islands National Park parking lot, which is where rescuers began searching.

“Staff from the Park, St John Rescue, and Virgin Islands Police Department initiated water and ground searches of the area on the south shore of the island,” the Virgin Islands National Park Service said in a Facebook post Sunday. “The Park Service asks that the public refrain from visiting the Salt Pond area while the search is ongoing.”

Search parties found her backpack on a hiking trail in the park, but it didn’t provide any clues to her whereabouts. U.S. Coast Guard helicopters, divers, and snorkelers searching off the coast came up similarly short in their four days of searching.

However, search efforts have been delayed as the Virgin Islands brace for Tropical Storm Karen hitting later on Tuesday. The announcement came in a post that also provided a general search update.