State patrol officials said Stafford-Yilmaz, 45, boarded the state ferry Puyallup on the Seattle-to-Bainbridge run about 11 p.m. When the ferry docked at Bainbridge Island, ferry workers found her abandoned Ford Windstar van parked at the front of the ferry.

When police searched the ferry, they found Stafford-Yilmaz's purse and keys on an upper deck. The findings led them to believe the mother of two hadn't just walked off the ferry, having forgotten she had driven as ferry riders sometimes do.

The Coast Guard used patrol boats and a helicopter to search Puget Sound in the area along the ferry route, but nothing was found. After 12 hours, the search was suspended Wednesday afternoon.

"We have saturated the search area and have not located anyone," said Cmdr. Michael Long with the U.S. Coast Guard. "These type cases are always difficult. I've been in constant contact with the family and our hearts go out to them."

The State Patrol said there is no sign that anyone else is involved, and the case is not being investigated as a crime at this point.

Stafford-Yilmaz is about 5 feet 5 inches tall, 130 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. She's a noted ELS teacher at Bellevue Community College who has taught all over the world and has authored and co-written eleven books.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts or who may have seen Stafford-Yilmaz on the ferry is asked to contact the State Patrol at 360-405-6650.

Service on the Seattle-to-Bainbridge run was disrupted overnight for several hours while police searched the ferry.