Missing American who reportedly fell off boat in the Bahamas identified as Michigan woman

Police say they're searching for an American woman who disappeared Saturday in the Bahamas. The woman's husband told authorities that his wife went missing after falling from their boat and being swept out to sea.

The missing woman was identified Monday as Lynette Hooker from Michigan, according to Hope Town Volunteer Fire and Rescue. Her husband, Brian Hooker, reported that he and his wife, who are both U.S. nationals, left Hope Town for Elbow Cay on the Bahamian island of Abaco at around 7:30 p.m. local time on Saturday, according to the Royal Bahamas Police Force. They had set sail aboard an 8-foot hard-bottom dinghy, police said.

The search and rescue efforts have turned into a search and recovery operation, the Royal Bahamas Police Force said Wednesday. 

Brian Hooker told police that his wife fell overboard with the keys to the boat, causing its engine to turn off. He said that strong currents carried her out to sea, and he lost sight of her, according to police. Brian Hooker paddled the dinghy to shore, arriving hours later at the Marsh Harbor Boat Yard at 4 a.m. Sunday morning. 

"She apparently bounced out of the boat," Hope Town Volunteer Fire and Rescue chief Troy Pritchard told CBS News on Monday.

Lynette Hooker was wearing a black bathing suit at the time, officials said.

Karli Aylesworth, Lynette Hooker's daughter, said she has "been privy to very little information" about her mother's case and called for "an intensive review of the facts and circumstances" surrounding it.

"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," Aylesworth told CBS News.

"There have been prior issues brought to my attention, which may be important for any thorough investigation," she said. "If this truly was an accident, I can understand and live with it. However, there needs to be an intensive review of the facts and circumstances of this tragic incident before that can be determined."

Aylesworth told CBS News that Brian and Lynette Hooker had split up and gotten back together in recent years. Brian Hooker declined to answer questions about the investigation when approached by CBS News on Tuesday but has since addressed his wife's disappearance in a social media statement.

"I am heartbroken over the recent boat accident in unpredictable seas and high winds that caused my beloved Lynette to fall from our small dinghy near Elbow Cay in the Bahamas," he said. "Despite desperate attempts to reach her, the winds and currents drove us further apart. We continue to search for her and that is my sole focus."

He also thanked authorities and volunteers involved in the search effort.

Police said Brian Hooker told someone his wife was missing once he made it to the boat yard, and that person informed authorities. Officers proceeded to search the surrounding area, with help from members of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and Hope Town fire officials.

"U.S. counterparts, volunteers, the Royal Bahamas Police Force and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force are assisting with this," the Royal Bahamas Police Force told CBS News in a statement. The U.S. Coast Guard Miami Sector also provided air support to Bahamian authorities in their search Sunday.

Police have asked people in the community who may have information relevant to the probe to report what they know to law enforcement, or submit anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers.

The U.S. State Department warned of potentially deadly boating issues in the Bahamas in a travel advisory issued in March 2025, which said "boating is not well regulated" on the islands, and "injuries and deaths have occurred." The advisory also warned that watercraft, like jet skis, may come from unlicensed operators who "sometimes ignore weather forecasts." It encouraged travelers to "always follow local weather and marine alerts."