The spouse of a missing Michigan woman, who vanished during a boating trip in the Bahamas, reportedly fell off a vessel while in police custody, according to his lawyer.
Attorney Terrel Butler stated that 59-year-old Brian Hooker tumbled overboard and endured knee pain along with some abrasions on Wednesday.
Butler explained that rough weather conditions and Hooker’s handcuffs hindered his ability to secure himself safely during the transport.
Hooker is currently being taken to Rand Hospital for a comprehensive medical evaluation and treatment, as reported by Fox News.
Authorities in the Bahamas detained Brian on Wednesday, following the mysterious disappearance of his wife, Lynette, from a sailing trip near the islands.
He was apprehended on the Abaco islands five days after returning from the voyage alone, alleging that Lynette had accidentally fallen overboard.
Authorities first interviewed Brian and released him, then brought him back in as a witness for further questioning.
He was later brought in for questioning a third time, as a suspect, according to his lawyer.
Brian Hooker, 59, fell off a boat and suffered from knee pain and abrasions on Wednesday
During the transport, Hooker was cuffed and rough conditions prevented him from being able to hold on for safety
Brian is being taken to Rand Hospital for further treatment and evaluation
The Royal Bahamas police said Brian was questioned ‘on probable cause’ and was taken into custody as a suspect in connection with his wife’s disappearance, but he has not been formally charged.
The couple were experienced sailors who had been traveling together for more than a decade, often documenting their life at sea on social media, authorities said.
On Saturday evening, they took out an eight-foot motorboat from Hope Town in the Bahamas, but only Brian returned.
He told authorities that his wife fell overboard with the boat keys as they were returning to their yacht ‘Soulmate’, causing the engine to shut off and forcing him to paddle to the shore.
In a statement to the Daily Mail, Brian Hooker said he is ‘heartbroken’ by his wife’s disappearance, describing the incident as a ‘boat accident in unpredictable seas and high winds.’
‘Despite desperate attempts to reach her, the winds and currents drove us further apart,’ Brian said. ‘We continue to search for her and that is my sole focus.’
Brian’s attorney said his client ‘categorically and unequivocally denies any wrongdoing’ in his wife’s disappearance, saying he ‘has been cooperating with the relevant authorities as part of an ongoing investigation.’
The couple’s distraught daughter called for a full investigation into the tragedy after she said her parents went through ‘prior issues’ before her mother’s disappearance.
Her husband, 58-year-old Brian Hooker, told the Royal Bahamas Police Force that they left around 7.30pm on an 8ft dinghy
The Soulmate, the boat belonging to Lynette and Brian Hooker
Lynette Hooker, 55, of Onsted, Michigan, fell into the Abaco Islands’ water while taking a boat ride with her husband from Hope Town to Elbow Cay, on Saturday
Lynette Hooker’s mother, Darlene Hamlett, said following Brian’s arrest late Wednesday that she was ‘glad to hear’ about the arrest, but declined further comment, saying she was seeking more information.
Earlier on Wednesday, Hamlett said she wants to hear more from her son-in-law about how Lynette vanished.
The couple had been married for more than two decades and lived in Onsted, Michigan.
Online records gave Brian Hooker’s age as 58, and the reason for the discrepancy wasn’t immediately clear.
‘I’m going to be interested in what he says, because I haven’t heard from him in almost two days,’ Hamlett said.
‘Our family grew up on water and so Lynette her whole life has been near lakes, on boats, sailing and swimming.
‘It would be a miracle if [she’s rescued], but I’m still counting on one,’ Hamlett added.
On Tuesday, Lynette’s daughter Karli Aynesworth called for a full investigation into the events leading up to her mother’s fall.
Lynette Hooker’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth called for a full investigation into the events leading up to her mother’s fatal fall
Aylesworth (pictured on mother’s lap in undated photo)
‘There have been prior issues brought to my attention, which may be important for any thorough investigation,’ she told Fox News Digital.
‘If this truly was an accident, I can understand and live with it,’ she added.
‘However, there needs to be an intensive review of the facts and circumstances of this tragic incident before that can be determined.’
Aylesworth also told CBS that her mother is a seasoned sailor and swimmer, with over a decade of experience on the water.
She is unable to wrap her mind around how Lynette fell overboard and vanished.
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