The husband of a woman who fell overboard from a dinghy in the Bahamas has been arrested days after her disappearance.
Lynette Hooker, 55, has been missing at sea in the Bahamas after she and her husband, Brian Hooker, 59, had been returning to their yacht.
After she fell in while holding the boat key, the boat engine shut off, leading her husband to ‘paddle back’ to land and call the police.
Just after 7 pm yesterday evening, Hooker was arrested in Marsh Harbour, Abaco Islands, for questioning.
His attorney Terrel A Butler said he denies any wrongdoing, adding: ‘He has been cooperating with the relevant authorities as part of an ongoing investigation.’
Earlier this week, Hooker posted on Facebook: ‘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.
‘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.’
Hooker also thanked the Bahamian search and rescue teams, who are working to search for his wife.
Karli Aylesworth, Lynette’s daughter, issued a statement yesterday saying that she had been told little information about her mum’s disappearance.
‘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.’
A massive search has been underway for days now, including both American and Bahamian authorities, but no trace of Lynette has been found.
Richard Cook, the fire team lead of Hope Town Volunteer Fire and Rescue, said the search for Lynette is now a ‘recovery effort’.
On Wednesday, the US Coast Guard announced it had opened a criminal investigation into Lynette’s disappearance.
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