Brian Hooker arrested after wife Lynette goes overboard near Elbow Cay, Bahamas

Brian Hooker, 58, was arrested Wednesday after his wife Lynette, 55, went overboard near Elbow Cay in the Bahamas. A criminal investigation has been opened.

Michigan man arrested as search continues for wife missing off Abaco Islands

Brian Hooker, 58, was arrested Wednesday evening after his wife, Lynette Hooker, 55, of Michigan, was reported missing in the Bahamas following a dinghy incident over the weekend, abc7ny.com reports.

According to the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the couple departed Hope Town on the Abaco Islands for Elbow Cay at approximately 7:30 p.m. on Saturday aboard an 8-foot hard-bottom dinghy, en route to their yacht, Soulmate. Brian Hooker told authorities that bad weather caused Lynette to fall overboard, and that strong currents carried her out to sea. She was holding the boat key at the moment she went overboard, causing the dinghy's engine to shut off.

Brian Hooker subsequently paddled back to shore, arriving at a marina around 4 a.m. Sunday, where he reported his wife's disappearance to an individual who then alerted police.

Multiple sources told ABC News that a criminal investigation had been opened into whether any wrongdoing occurred. The U.S. Coast Guard is set to lead the probe, according to a source familiar with the investigation.

On Wednesday, Brian Hooker issued his first public statement via social media. "Unpredictable seas and high winds" had caused his "beloved Lynette to fall from our small dinghy," he wrote, adding: "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 described himself as "heartbroken over the recent boat accident" and thanked the agencies involved in the search.

Lynette Hooker's daughter, Karli Aylesworth, has called for a "full and complete investigation" into her mother's disappearance. Speaking to ABC News, she said her mother is fit and a strong swimmer, and relayed what her stepfather had told her. "He said that my mom's missing and that she fell out of the boat and that he threw a life jacket to her or something, and he doesn't know if she got it or not," she said. "I just hope we find her," she added.

The search and rescue operation — conducted by land, sea and air — involves multiple agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard and the Royal Bahamas Police Force. The U.S. State Department said it is "aware of reports regarding a missing American near Elbow Cay" and is "working with Bahamian authorities to provide assistance."

The Hookers are described as avid sailors who documented their travels on social media under the name "The Sailing Hookers." The search for Lynette Hooker remains ongoing.

Source: Google News BS — Crime