It took nearly a full day for Lynette Hooker’s daughter to learn that her mother had gone missing at sea. The news was broken by her stepfather, Brian Hooker, during a phone call, as reported recently.
Brian, 58, informed Lynette’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth, about the troubling situation on Sunday. The mysterious case began when Lynette, a 55-year-old woman from Michigan, disappeared after falling overboard during a dinghy ride on Saturday evening.
A source close to the family shared with the Daily Mail that this conversation took place over 24 hours after the incident. “We don’t know why the delay happened. Whether he was occupied with the search or for other reasons, we’re simply unsure,” the source stated.
The incident occurred after 7:30 p.m. on Saturday while the couple was heading to their yacht near Elbow Cay. Brian didn’t make it back to shore until around 4 a.m. on Sunday because Lynette had fallen overboard with the boat key, which stopped the engine.
Authorities reported that strong currents swept Lynette away, and Brian lost sight of her. He explained to law enforcement that he had to paddle the dinghy back to shore, as he had no means to restart the engine.
Strong currents dragged her away and Brian lost sight of her, according to authorities. The husband told law enforcement he was forced to paddle the boat back to shore with no way to rev up the engine.
When Brian finally alerted Aylesworth, she claimed to NBC News his voice was “monotone and relaxed.”
“I was in shock,” she said. “I was like, my mom’s missing? Like, what?”
He also left a voicemail for Aylesworth to let her know searchers found the flotation device he threw to Lynette when she went in the water, CBS News reported.
While Brian has not been accused of wrongdoing, Aylesworth finds her mom’s disappearance suspicious and claimed to “Fox and Friends” on Wednesday her stepfather has a “bunch of anger he hasn’t processed.”
She told NBC News Lynette and Brian’s relationship includes a “history of not getting along, especially when they drink.”
The effort to find Lynette has morphed from a rescue search to a recovery operation.
Attempts to reach Brian have not been successful. He also has not replied to other outlets’ requests.
Brian, in a statement on his Facebook page, said he was “heartbroken” over his wife’s disappearance.
