Michigan man released by Bahamas police after wife fell overboard near Elbow Cay
Brian Hooker was freed after prosecutors recommended no charges. His wife Lynette, 55, went overboard on April 4 from a small boat near Elbow Cay.
Michigan man freed in Bahamas after wife's disappearance at sea
Bahamas police have released Brian Hooker, a Michigan man held for questioning since April 8 following the disappearance of his wife from a small boat, authorities announced Monday. Law enforcement freed him after prosecutors recommended against filing charges while investigations remain ongoing, apnews.com reports.
Hooker, from Onsted in southern Michigan, told police that his wife Lynette Hooker, 55, fell overboard on the night of April 4 as the couple traveled in an 8-foot (2.4-meter) motorboat from Hope Town to Elbow Cay, a cluster of small islands on the eastern edge of the Bahamas. He said Lynette had the boat's keys on her when she went into the water, causing the engine to cut out and leaving him no option but to paddle ashore.
"Strong currents subsequently carried her away, and he lost sight of her," police said in a statement.
Hooker did not alert anyone about his wife's disappearance until early the following morning, after reaching shore, according to authorities.
Speaking to CBS News shortly after his release, Hooker said he wants to believe his wife is still alive and intends to return to the water to search for her as soon as possible. "I won't be able to stop looking," he said, becoming emotional.
His attorney, Terrel Butler, has stated that Hooker denies any wrongdoing. Butler did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Associated Press on Monday regarding his release.
The U.S. Coast Guard has opened a separate investigation running parallel to the inquiry being conducted by Bahamian authorities.
Lynette Hooker's daughter, Karli Aylesworth, told NBC News that her mother was an experienced sailor who had spent years voyaging with her husband, making it unlikely she would "just fall" off the boat.
The couple, married for more than 20 years, documented their Caribbean sailing trips on a Facebook page called "Sailing Hookers." In 2023 they posted videos of purchasing a sailboat named Soul Mate in Rockport, Texas, before setting off through the Gulf of Mexico from the port town of Kemah.
Their history was not without conflict. A 2015 Kentwood, Michigan, police report obtained by NBC showed that Brian and Lynette Hooker had accused each other of assault. Brian Hooker, described as intoxicated and bleeding from the nose at the time, told officers his wife had struck him repeatedly in the face and that she too was drunk. Lynette was arrested and spent the night in jail. A warrant was ultimately denied because investigators could not determine who had initiated the altercation.
The couple's home in Onsted is approximately 70 miles (120 kilometers) southwest of Detroit.
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