HOPE TOWN, Bahamas —The husband of a missing American woman in the Bahamas has spoken out for the first time since her disappearance off a small boat, writing that he is “heartbroken.”
Bahamian officials said Lynette Hooker, 55, and Brian Hooker, 58, left Hope Town’s Abaco Inn at around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and went on a smaller boat, known as a dinghy, to travel to their yacht. Brian Hooker reportedly told officials that Lynette fell into the water with the ignition key, causing the engine to shut off. The current carried her away, according to Brian, who paddled back to a marina at Marsh Harbour. He reported Lynette missing at around 4:00 a.m. on Sunday.
Brian Hooker spoke out about his wife’s disappearance for the first time on Wednesday.
“I am heartbroken over the recent boat accident in unpredictable seas and high winds that caused my beloved Lynette to fall from our small dinghy near Elbow Cay in the Bahamas. Despite desperate attempts to reach her, the winds and currents drove us further apart. We continue to search for her and that is my sole focus,” Brian Hooker said in a Facebook post.
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“Our family is deeply grateful for the Bahamian people’s assistance, especially that of the Hopetown Volunteer Fire & Rescue team, Royal Bahamas police force, Royal Bahamas Defense Force, and the US Coast Guard, who have worked tirelessly in an ongoing effort to bring Lynette back to us. Thank you to everyone for keeping Lynette in your thoughts and for your support of our family during this difficult time,” he added.
Brian Hooker’s comments come after Lynette’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth, told Fox News’ Griff Jenkins on “Fox & Friends” that she has seen the man become physically violent towards one of his own children.
“I’ve seen him choke out one of his daughters before. And we had to go to court for that,” Aylesworth said. “So he’s just repeating patterns.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Brian Hooker several times but has not received a response. He has not been charged with a crime.
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Aylesworth also said during the interview with Fox News’ Griff Jenkins that Brian Hooker had been violent towards her mother.
“I do believe something might have happened to her,” she added. “There’s history of them choking her out and threatening to throw her overboard. So the fact that this is actually happening makes me believe there’s more to the story.”
She described her mother as a “very fit person” who wouldn’t lose her balance on a boat.
“I’m confused why she has the keys because she never drove the dinghy. It was always Brian. So the story just doesn’t add up right now,” Aylesworth said.
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Aylesworth also said that Brian Hooker left a voicemail message telling her authorities found Lynette’s flotation device.
“Hello, honey, it’s Dad. I just got a call from Hope Town Search and Rescue, and they found the flotation device that I threw to Mom when she fell overboard,” Brian Hooker said in the voicemail, according to CBS News.
Lynette’s daughter called for a thorough investigation in a statement on Tuesday.
“There have been prior issues brought to my attention, which may be important for any thorough investigation. If this truly was an accident, I can understand and live with it,” Aylesworth said. “However, there needs to be an intensive review of the facts and circumstances of this tragic incident before that can be determined.”
“While the Royal Bahamian police are investigating this matter, I would also appreciate any involvement of the federal, state or local authorities to look into the circumstances of this tragic situation,” she added.
Richard Cook, team leader with Hope Town Volunteer Fire and Rescue, told PEOPLE foul play isn’t suspected.
“It was just a lot of bad decisions,” Cook said. “Night time, very windy, no moon out yet so it was pitch dark and very rough conditions for the small boat they were in.”
Cook also told CNN that the search for Lynette Hooker has shifted to a recovery operation.
The U.S. Coast Guard briefly assisted in the search for Lynette.
“The Royal Bahamas Defense Force (RBDF) is the lead agency for this search,” the agency told Fox News Digital. “On Sunday, the U.S. Coast Guard provided support for approximately one hour using an HC-144 aircraft, but the search yielded no results. Since then, the RBDF has not requested additional assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard.”
John Waters, who is friends with the couple, told Fox News Digital he met Lynette at an oyster bar in Panama City Beach, Florida in 2023. He said the couple was on a journey around the Gulf of America.
“Their new lifestyle was this boat that they picked up in Texas. They spent a year working on it,” Waters said.
One of Lynette Hooker’s former neighbors in Kentwood, Michigan, told Fox News Digital that she was “just so freaking nice.”
“She was just a sweetheart, she was always the nicest lady,” the former neighbor told Fox News Digital. “She was — I don’t want to say she was like a hippie — but she kind of gave off this free spirit vibe, this ‘let’s go with the flow’ vibe.”
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He described Lynette as outgoing, and said she would wave whenever she saw him. He also socialized with Lynette and Brian, recalling memories of drinking alcohol with them by the pool when the weather was nice.
He told Fox News Digital that she gave him motherly advice, adding that she spoke simply but that her words had a big impact, like when she gave him advice about choosing the right partner before he got engaged.
That friend also said that the couple retired to pursue their dream of boating and lived on their sailboat.
Property records indicate that Brian and Lynette sold their home in the town of Kentwood, Michigan in 2020. Fox News Digital was not able to verify any further property records related to the Hookers.
Geoff Fahringer, former dive team member for the Collier County Sheriff’s Office in Florida, told Fox News Digital that he believes there’s no foul play involved in Lynette Hooker’s disappearance.
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“Sadly, what I’ve seen in my experience is that this is unfortunately a somewhat common occurrence that seeing the circumstances of this entire accident, it’s something I’ve seen before,” Fahringer said.
In an update on Tuesday night, the Royal Bahamas Police Force said the search for Lynette Hooker is ongoing, as well as an investigation. Police didn’t provide any additional details.
The U.S. State Department has issued a level 2 travel advisory for the Bahamas. Americans are urged to “exercise increased caution” due to crime, beach safety, as well as jet ski and boating dangers.
A spokesperson for the State Department previously told Fox News Digital the agency is aware of reports regarding the missing American and is working with Bahamian authorities.
The State Department declined to share any additional details.
Boating in the Bahamas isn’t well regulated, and the State Department has said that “injuries and deaths have occurred.”