Coast Guard Opens Criminal Probe of Bahamas Disappearance
Getty Images/Tamilisa Miner
A 55-year-old American tourist from Michigan, Lynette Hooker, who disappeared while on a small boat in the waters near Elbow Cay, Bahamas, has become the focus of a US Coast Guard criminal investigation. The agency confirmed that the probe was launched four days after her husband, Brian Hooker, 58, reported that she went overboard on Saturday night.
According to Brian Hooker’s statement to Bahamian authorities, the couple was returning to their yacht, Soulmate, in an 8-foot dinghy when strong winds and currents caused Lynette to “bounce” out of the vessel. She was not wearing a life jacket, and the dinghy lost power because she was holding the engine safety lanyard at the time. Brian Hooker reported that he last saw Lynette swimming toward shore, but he was unable to reach her as the current carried them apart. He paddled the powerless dinghy until it drifted to Marsh Harbour and eventually ran aground. He reached a boatyard around 4 a.m. Sunday and contacted authorities.
Search efforts have been extensive and involve multiple agencies, including the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, Hope Town Volunteer Fire and Rescue, and the US Coast Guard. Responders have scoured the area by land, sea, air, drone, and divers. Local officials say the mission has now shifted from rescue to recovery.
Questions have emerged about the circumstances of the incident. Lynette Hooker’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth, has expressed skepticism about her stepfather’s account. She told NBC News that her mother, an experienced sailor, is unlikely to accidentally fall from a boat and noted that Lynette and Brian Hooker have a history of conflict, especially when drinking. Aylesworth described Brian Hooker as sounding “monotone and relaxed” when he called to report her mother missing.
Speaking to Fox News, Aylesworth said she suspects “something might have happened” to her mother. She recalled prior incidents in which Brian Hooker allegedly choked or threatened Lynette, suggesting that more could have occurred during this trip. Aylesworth said she was first interviewed by investigators on Wednesday for about two hours and has received minimal information since. She added that her parents have been married for 25 years and have sailed together for over a decade.
Lynette’s mother, Darlene Hamlett, is urgently securing an emergency passport to travel to the Bahamas. Both women have retained legal representation and are calling for a thorough investigation. Hamlett said, “We have many unanswered questions. Our family is still in shock. We are still holding on for a positive outcome to this tragedy.”
On Facebook, Brian Hooker described the incident as a “heartbreaking boat accident” in “unpredictable seas and high winds” and said he continues to search for his wife, emphasizing that it remains his sole focus.
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