Brian Hooker expressed his deep sorrow over the ongoing search for “my beloved Lynette,” who disappeared after falling overboard last Saturday.
BAHAMAS — In the days following a Michigan woman’s disappearance overboard in the Bahamas, her husband has released a heartfelt statement, expressing his profound heartbreak as the search efforts continue.
At 59, Brian Hooker reported that his wife, Lynette, went overboard around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 4.
The couple was navigating a small hard-bottom dinghy towards their yacht when adverse weather conditions led to Lynette’s fall overboard. She had the boat key, which caused the engine to stop.
Brian recounted how the current swept Lynette away, and he eventually lost sight of her. He managed to reach a marina at Marsh Harbor by paddling and drifting, where he reported the incident around 4 a.m. on April 5.
At the time of her disappearance, 56-year-old Lynette was wearing a black bathing suit. Despite ongoing search operations by the Bahamas Air-Sea Rescue Association (BASRA) and the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF), she remains missing.
On Wednesday, Brian posted a statement to his Facebook page, thanking authorities for their help:
“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.
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.”
Daughter of missing woman in Bahamas breaks silence on disappearance
Meanwhile, Lynette’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth, said the situation just isn’t adding up to her.
“It just doesn’t add up why she was swimming away from the boat or why she had the keys,” Aylesworth told CNN. “Sorry, I have known past issues between them have not been good. So it’s just weird that this is happening now. Like kind of like, okay, you said this was gonna probably happen, and now it’s happening.”
Authorities say the search for Lynette has become a recovery mission.
