Family searching for N.Y. woman gone missing in Turkey

Staten Island - A New York woman was vacationing in Turkey and has gone missing. She was supposed to come home last week, but never made her flight.

A 33-year-old mother of two from New York has gone missing while vacationing on her own in Istanbul, Turkey. She left for her trip on Jan. 7 and was expected back last Tuesday. She never made her plane. According to Staten Island Live, Sarai Sierra's family is now desperately searching for her after she did not arrive on the fight to Newark Liberty International Airport. The last person to communicate with her was her sister on Monday morning through an instant message. At that time, Sierra indicated she was excited to be coming home to Staten Island, where she lives with her husband and two young sons. No one has heard from her since and her whereabouts are a mystery. Media reports indicate the airline said she never showed up for her return flight to New York. Local authorities searched the room she was renting, and her passport and other belongings are still there. The landlord said he last saw her on Sunday night. "Something didn't strike me well to begin with on Monday. We stayed in touch the entire trip, and then it just stopped," Steven Sierra, her husband, said. "This is not Sarai's character at all," he told New York 1. Currently officials in both the U.S. and Turkey are looking into the disappearance, reports USA Today. This was reportedly Sierra's first time traveling abroad. Originally a friend was supposed to accompany her, but decided not to go at the last minute. Her family describes a love of photography and that she was looking forward to the sites and scenery. In her last communication to her older sister, Christina, she indicated she was going to visit bridges located in Galata. "She was excited about getting the chance to take pictures there. I was nervous about her going alone from the start, but I wanted to support her," Sierra said. Sarai Sierra is described as being 5'2 and 110 pounds, hazel eyes and long brown hair. "We just want to find her and get her home safe," said Steven Sierra. Sierra is on his way to Turkey to help local authorities search for his wife, along with her brother.