The daughter of an American woman who vanished in the Bahamas after reportedly falling overboard during a boat ride with her husband has come forward with claims about her stepfather’s troubling past.

Lynette Hooker, aged 55 and hailing from Onsted, Michigan, disappeared into the waters near the Abaco Islands. She was reportedly on a trip with her husband, Brian Hooker, 58, heading towards their yacht named Soulmate in Elbow Cay this past Saturday.

Brian Hooker recounted to police that they departed from Hope Town at approximately 7:30 p.m. in their small 8-foot dinghy.

According to his statement to investigators, Lynette lost her footing and fell overboard due to adverse weather conditions while she was holding the boat’s key, which ultimately resulted in the engine stopping.

In response to the incident, a collaborative search-and-rescue effort was promptly initiated by both Bahamian and U.S. authorities, with the U.S. Coast Guard contributing aerial support as well.

However, by Tuesday, the operation shifted focus to a recovery mission, as confirmed by Richard Cook, the head of Hope Town Volunteer Fire and Rescue, in a statement to CNN.

As the desperate search continues, Lynette’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth, 28, shared harrowing details about her mother and stepfather’s relationship.

‘There is a history of him 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 told Fox News.

Lynette Hooker, 55, went missing in the Bahamas after falling overboard during a boat ride with her husband on Saturday

As the desperate search for Lynette continues, her daughter, Karli Aylesworth, 28, shared harrowing details about her mother and stepfather’s relationship

Lynette’s husband, 58-year-old Brian Hooker, told police his wife slipped and fell due to poor weather while traveling on a dinghy to get to their yacht

‘There has also been a history of domestic violence in that relationship, so I do believe something might have happened to her.’

Aylesworth explained why she felt the circumstances surrounding her mother’s disappearance were suspicious and called for a full investigation into what happened.

‘It just doesn’t add up. My mom is very fit and strong. She’s a good swimmer, like, why was she swimming away from the boat?’ she said.

 ‘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 shared a voicemail Hooker sent her with CBS News, in which he spoke about throwing a flotation device to Lynette after she fell. 

‘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,’ he told his stepdaughter.

Aylesworth’s comments come just a day after she released a statement calling for a more thorough investigation by US federal officials.

‘I have been privy to very little information. My sole concern is to find out what happened to my mother and make sure a full and complete investigation is performed into her disappearance,’ she said.

Aylesworth said there is a history of her stepfather threatening to throw Lynette overboard and believes the circumstances surrounding her mother’s disappearance are suspicious

Aylesworth shared a voicemail Hooker sent her with CBS News, in which he spoke about throwing a flotation device to Lynette after she fell

‘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.’

Hooker broke his silence in a Wednesday morning Facebook post, writing that he is ‘heartbroken’ over Lynette’s disappearance. 

‘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,’ he wrote.

‘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.’

The Daily Mail contacted Hooker for comment. 

The couple regularly documented their life on the water on social media under the username The Sailing Hookers, often showcasing their yacht.

In their most recent Instagram post, shared Friday afternoon, they featured a small boat with the caption, ‘Not going anywhere for a while?!’

Meanwhile, their YouTube channel further captured years of life on the open water, with short videos filmed aboard Soulmate.

The final video, posted just four weeks ago, showed the couple in the Bahamas taking an early-morning paddleboard trip along Marsh Harbour, known as a ‘world-class boating destination.’