Husband arrested as search intensifies for his missing wife in the Bahamas
(Brian Hooker, the husband of Lynette Hooker, was arrested in connection with her disappearance)
Bahamian authorities have arrested Brian Hooker in connection with the disappearance of his wife, Lynette Hooker, a 55-year-old American woman who vanished during a boating trip in the Abaco Islands, officials confirmed Wednesday.
Lynette Hooker went missing after she fell off a small boat on Saturday evening. Her husband, Brian Hooker, reported her missing early Sunday morning. ~ Fox News
Lynette Hooker, an experienced sailor from Michigan, was reported missing early Sunday after allegedly falling overboard from an 8-foot dinghy Saturday evening near Elbow Cay. According to her husband, she fell into the water with the boat’s keys, shutting off the engine, before strong currents carried her out of sight.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force detained Brian Hooker in Marsh Harbour for questioning as the U.S. Coast Guard opened a parallel criminal investigation. Authorities have not announced formal charges, and officials say the case remains active and ongoing.
The couple chronicled their adventures on their YouTube channel, “The Sailing Hookers.” Their most recent videos showed them boating, snorkeling and paddleboarding in the Bahamas. ~ The New York Times
Search efforts by Bahamian and U.S. agencies have continued for days, focusing on waters near Hope Town and Elbow Cay, but no confirmed sightings of Lynette Hooker have been reported.
Hooker’s attorney said he is cooperating fully with investigators and “categorically and unequivocally denies any wrongdoing.” However, family members have raised questions about the circumstances of her disappearance, noting her extensive boating experience.
Lynette Hooker’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth, told NBC News that it is unlikely her mother would “just fall” off the boat, saying she was an experienced sailor. The couple had been sailing for years and documented their voyages on social media under the moniker, “The Sailing Hookers.” ~ The Associated Press
The couple, who documented their travels online, had been sailing in the Bahamas prior to the incident. Officials say both the search and the investigation remain ongoing as authorities work to determine what happened. For more on Bahamian investigators arresting the husband of missing American Lynette Hooker after he claimed she fell overboard during the couple’s recent boat trip, see the video nelow.
~
(Sources: AP News, The New York Times, Fox News, Yahoo!)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
Follow Richard on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram
