An American woman is missing in the Bahamas after her husband said she fell overboard
HOPE TOWN, Bahamas — The American woman who went missing in the Bahamas after her husband said she fell out of a small boat was living her sailing retirement dream when tragedy struck, according to a friend. Along the way, the couple has been building a social media following and making connections across the country.
Lynette Hooker, 55, and her husband, Brian Hooker, 58, left the Abaco Inn in Hope Town at about 7:30 p.m. Saturday, four minutes after sunset that night, on a small boat headed to their yacht in Elbow Cay, according to Bahamian officials.
While the pair were on the smaller boat, known as Lynette’s boat, Brian Hooker reportedly told officials pan With the ignition switch, turning off the engine. The current carried her away, according to Brian, who paddled back to the marina in Marsh Harbour. Lynette was reported missing at approximately 4:00 a.m. Sunday.
John Waters, a friend of the couple, told Fox News Digital that he met Lynette at an oyster bar in Panama City Beach, Florida, in 2023. He said the couple was on a trip around America’s Bay.
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Lynette Hooker and Brian Hooker appear in a photo taken in 2023 on a small boat. (John Waters)
“Their new lifestyle was this boat they picked up in Texas. They spent a year working on it,” Waters said.
He described the couple as really nice and said they would fulfill their retirement dream of sailing. He said the couple “were not experienced” in boating.
After three days of searching for Lynette, authorities have provided few answers.
A general view of the Abaco Inn, Hope Town, Bahamas, Tuesday, April 7, 2026. Brian Hooker and his wife Lynette Hooker were seen having dinner here Saturday night before Lynette was said to have been lost at sea after falling from the couple’s boat. (EG Squee for Fox News Digital) (EG Squee for Fox News Digital)
Richard Cook, Hope Town Volunteer Fire and Rescue team leader, said: the people No foul play is suspected.
“There were a lot of bad decisions,” Cook said. “At night, it was very windy, the moon hadn’t come up yet, so it was pitch black and the conditions were very rough for the little boat they were in.”
WATCH: Daughter of American missing in Bahamas says her mother never drove the small boat
Lynette Hooker’s daughter, Carly Aylesworth, who is not related to Brian, told Fox News’ Griff Jenkins that Brian Hooker had a history of violence toward her mother. She gave several media interviews on Tuesday, including with Fox News Channel’s Griff Jenkins.
“I think something might have happened to her,” she said. “There’s a history of choking her and threatening to throw her overboard. So the fact that this is actually happening makes me think there’s more to the story.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Brian Hooker several times but has not received a response. He was not charged with a crime.
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Brian Hooker’s behavior may change when he drinks alcohol, Aylesworth told Fox News Digital.
“He starts to act smarter and more annoying to you and says “I know this will make you angry so I’ll do it.”
Aylesworth described her mother as a “very fit person” who would not lose her balance on the boat.
“I’m confused why she has the keys because she’s never driven the car The canoe. It was always Brian. “So the story doesn’t make any sense right now,” Aylesworth said.
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Local police said that an American woman went missing in the Bahamas on Saturday, after she fell into the sea during a boat trip and was swept away by strong currents. (Fox News)
Jeff Fahringer, former member of the Collier County diving team The Florida Sheriff’s Office told Fox News Digital that foul play is not suspected.
“Unfortunately, what I’ve seen in my experience is that this is fairly common unfortunately, seeing the circumstances of this entire incident, it’s something I’ve seen before,” Fahringer said.
Watch: Boating expert says boating accidents in the Bahamas are ‘common’
Authorities have not said whether Lynette Hooker was wearing a life jacket at the time she fell from the small boat.
The couple is very active on social media, and largely displays their yacht. Latest Instagram share Friday afternoon, it showed Lynette on a boat with the caption: “Not going anywhere for a while?!”
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A 56-year-old American woman, Lynette Hooker, has disappeared after drowning in the sea during a boat trip in the Bahamas, according to local officials. (Brian Hooker/Facebook)
the Royal Bahamas Police Force The woman’s disappearance is being investigated with the Royal Bahamas Defense Forces and Hope Town Fire & Rescue.
Currently the US State Department The Bahamas says the Bahamas’ Level 2 travel warning is below Level 2 Travel warning He urges Americans to “be more careful” because of crime and beach safety as well as the dangers of jet skis and boating.
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A general view of the shipyards in Marsh Harbour, Bahamas, Tuesday, April 7, 2026. Brian Hooker, 58, reportedly rowed his boat back to the boatyards Sunday morning after losing his wife, Lynette Hooker, at sea. (EG Squee for Fox News Digital) (EG Squee for Fox News Digital)
A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the agency is aware of the reports regarding the missing American and is working with Bahamian authorities.
Boating in the Bahamas is not well regulated, and the State Department said there have been “injuries and deaths.”
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