HOPE TOWN, BAHAMAS (WTVB) – Authorities in the Bahamas have shifted their search to a recovery operation for 56-year-old Lynette Hooker , Lenawee County woman who went missing Saturday night after reportedly falling overboard near Elbow Cay.
According to the Royal Bahamas Police Force, Hooker and her husband, Brian, were traveling from Hope Town to their yacht, “Soulmate,” in an 8-foot hard-bottom dinghy when they encountered bad weather. Brian Hooker told investigators that his wife was holding the boat’s key when she “bounced” into the water, causing the engine to shut off immediately.
He reportedly paddled for hours before reaching the Marsh Harbour Boat Yard around 4 a.m. Sunday to report her missing.
Hooker’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth , has called for a thorough investigation, expressing skepticism that her mother, an experienced mariner of over a decade would simply fall off the boat.
In statements, Aylesworth cited “prior issues” and a volatile history between the couple that she believes are relevant to the case.
While the U.S. Coast Guard and local authorities continue to search the waters using drones and divers, Aylesworth shared that the initial shock of her mother’s disappearance is fading, replaced by waves of profound sadness as the recovery mission enters its fourth day.
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