Police Investigate Discovery Of Body Off Cape Cod

Authorities are investigating whether a body discovered in the waters off Chatham is that of a 37-year-old Rhode Island woman who has been missing for several days.

Massachusetts state police say a passerby reported seeing a woman's body shortly before noon on Wednesday. The body was recovered and taken to the Chatham Coast Guard station. A medical examiner will determine identity and cause of death.

Rachel Collins, a psychiatric nurse at Rhode Island Hospital, has not been seen since she finished her shift at Rhode Island Hospital on Friday. Police believe the West Warwick woman drove to Cape Cod after leaving the hospital. A search began after her car was found Saturday in the parking lot of Nauset Light Beach.

The Cape Cod Times reports that Collins was a native of Eastham and has relatives on the Cape.