A body has been found in a lake at the Staten Island park where a 44-year-old doctor vanished two weeks ago, though authorities have yet to identify it, police sources familiar with the case told News 4 Wednesday.
Law enforcement officials have said foul play is not suspected in the disappearance of Tamara Saukin. No one has reported seeing her since the morning of Nov. 18.
Police say Saukin went for a morning walk with her mother at Clove Lakes Park and then continued on by herself. She was last seen wearing a brown jacket, black leggings and pink sneakers, police said.
In the following days, units from the NYPD have returned to the area to continue search efforts for Saukin. Her loved ones are desperate for answers.
"We love her, we want her back safely. We want to do anything within our power to find her," said longtime patient Christina Salcido.
Saukin was an accomplished figure skater. Salcido says Saukin suffered a leg injury years ago but it didn't keep her down.
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"She really loved her life. She was a very energetic, very athletic person. I understand she had had an injury not too long ago and that prevented her from doing what she used to do, which was ice skating. But she still had the spirit of going out there, for example jogging and running which is what she was doing out here," Salcido said.
Adding to the mystery, Saukin abruptly suspended her medical practice in recent weeks, reportedly due to "unforeseen circumstances."
The park where Saukin went missing, although relatively flat and bordering several neighborhoods on Staten Island, has a number of horse trails and heavily wooded sections that could confuse runners.
