In brief
Brian Hooker from Michigan has been released from police custody following the mysterious disappearance of his wife, Lynette, who reportedly fell overboard during their boating trip in the Bahamas. Despite the ongoing investigation, Hooker believes his wife is still alive and plans to search for her. The couple, married for over 20 years, has chronicled their sailing adventures online.
Police in the Bahamas have released a Michigan man who said his wife disappeared after falling overboard from a small boat in waters off the island nation, authorities said Monday.
Brian Hooker, of Onsted in southern Michigan, had been in police custody since April 8 after being questioned by authorities. He told CBS News shortly after his release that he wants to believe his wife is still alive and plans to go back out to look for her as soon as possible.
“I won’t be able to stop looking,” Hooker said, getting emotional.
Law enforcement freed him after consulting with prosecutors who recommended against filing charges at this time, with investigations underway.
Brian Hooker told police that Lynette Hooker, 55, fell overboard the night of April 4 as they were traveling in an 8-foot (2.4-meter) motorboat from Hope Town to Elbow Cay, a group of small islands on the eastern end of the Bahamas. He said Lynette had the boat’s keys, causing its engine to shut off and forcing him to paddle ashore.
“Strong currents subsequently carried her away, and he lost sight of her,” police said in a statement.
After reaching shore, Brian Hooker alerted someone about his wife's disappearance early the following day, according to authorities.
Hooker has denied any wrongdoing, according to his attorney, Terrel Butler. She did not immediately respond to an email for comment on Brian Hooker’s release.
The U.S. Coast Guard has opened an investigation separate from the one being conducted by authorities in the Bahamas.
The couple has been married for more than 20 years and chronicled their adventures sailing around the Caribbean on their “Sailing Hookers” Facebook page. They posted videos in 2023 of buying a sailboat they named Soul Mate in the coastal town of Rockport, Texas, and then embarking on a cruise through the Gulf of Mexico from the port town of Kemah, Texas.
Lynette Hooker’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth, told NBC News that it is unlikely her mother would “just fall” off the boat, saying she was an experienced sailor.
The couple has had a history of contention, with Brian and Lynette Hooker accusing each other in 2015 of assault, according to a Kentwood, Michigan, police report obtained by NBC. Brian Hooker, who was intoxicated and bleeding from the nose, told police at the time that his wife had struck him multiple times in the face. He told officers Lynette also was drunk. She was arrested and spent the night in jail. A warrant was denied because it wasn’t clear “who started the assault.”
