An American woman, passionate about sailing and adventure, remains missing after falling from a boat in the Bahamas.
Lynette Hooker, 55, was aboard an 8-foot dinghy with her husband, Brian, 58, when she tumbled overboard Saturday night while en route to their yacht, the “Soulmate.” According to Bahamian officials speaking to ABC News, she was quickly carried away by strong currents.
Authorities reported, “The currents swiftly took her away, and he lost sight of her.”
Lynette, from Michigan and known online as part of “The Sailing Hookers,” was holding the key to the boat when she fell, inadvertently turning off the engine. It remains unclear if she had a life jacket on at the time.
Brian reached a marina in Marsha Harbor around 4 a.m. on Sunday, where he informed a local about the incident. This led to a police report and the initiation of a search and rescue operation.
Prior to this tragic incident, Lynette and Brian had been sharing their seafaring escapades on social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.
“We sailed away from BS. A married couple living their best life,” the couple’s TikTok bio said.
Hours before her disappearance, they shared a photograph of a small boat in murky shallow waters moored to a jetty.
“Not going anywhere for a while?!” the post’s caption said.
The couple had recently been caught up in bad weather. One video showed their yacht being hit by the rain – days after being filmed scuba diving and navigating crystal clear waters.
Lynette’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth, said she’s been “privy to little information” relating to her mom’s sudden disappearance.
“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.
“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.”
Karli has since shared a throwback picture on Facebook, captioning it “Mommy.”
Tourists heading to the Bahamas have been warned to exercise increased caution, according to the State Department.
Boaters are urged to always follow local weather forecasts and marine alerts.
A State Department spokesperson said the agency is “working with Bahamian authorities to provide assistance.”
