Brian Hooker was seen wandering around a Bahamas boat yard in surveillance video hours after his wife Lynette went missing. In the surveillance footage, Hooker appears calm, with little sign of panic or urgency about his missing wife. The Royal Bahamas Police Force confirmed that a 59-year-old man of U.S. nationality was taken into custody in Marsh Harbour, Abaco, on Wednesday April 8, 2026, and is being questioned in connection with Lynette's disappearance.
Hooker told authorities that Lynette was pitched from their 8ft dinghy as they headed from dinner to their moored 50ft sailboat Soulmate in bad weather. He said his wife was tossed overboard in darkness on Saturday, taking the dinghy's keys with her causing the engine to shut off. Lynette Hooker went overboard on Saturday as the couple from Onsted, Michigan, were on a four-year voyage. Hooker claims that he couldn't go after Lynette because the dinghy's engine shut down, so he could only paddle. When Lynette Hooker fell overboard, she had the engine safety lanyard and it went over with her. Without the key, the boat lost power shortly after and Hooker had to paddle the boat to shore. Brian Hooker said he last saw his wife swimming towards the shore before he lost sight of her.
Edward Smith revealed that Hooker told him he'd used one paddle to battle his way to safety for nearly eight hours after his wife vanished.
Lynette Hooker, 55, and her husband Brian Hooker, 58, are both US nationals from Michigan. The couple was heading back to their yacht 'Soulmate' when Lynette Hooker 'bounced' out of the boat. The couple hit strong currents after leaving Hope Town and were headed to Elbow Cay Saturday night in a small 8-foot hard-bottom dinghy. Lynette Hooker was not wearing a personal flotation device. Strong currents carried Lynette Hooker away and Brian Hooker lost sight of her.
After the incident, Hooker drifted four miles toward Marsh Harbour, Abaco. Mr. Hooker tried to row but the winds were 18-22 kts and could not make headway. When he reached land, he beached the dinghy and made his way through the bush to the Marsh Harbour Boat Yards and called police.
I am heartbroken over the accident.
The surveillance video from Marsh Harbour Boat Yard is timestamped at 3.35am. Night security guard Edward Smith found Hooker in the yard. Hooker allegedly told Edward Smith that he 'should have known better' and that the pair had been 'very drunk' when his wife fell overboard. Hooker told Edward Smith that the last time he saw his wife, she was swimming towards Hope Town, but he lost sight of her in the dark and large waves. Hooker told Edward Smith he shot up flares when boats passed, but they didn't see them.
Police on Abaco, along with the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and local fire and rescue teams, launched a search operation in the surrounding waters. Teams searched for six hours on Sunday with no results. The US Coast Guard later conducted a search by air. Search operations spanned water, sky, and land using drone technology and professional divers. Search and rescue teams have now moved to a recovery operation. Authorities say they are in a recovery operation to find Lynette's body.
Edward Smith said Hooker showed little emotion and was more exhausted than emotional after the incident.
Brian Hooker broke his silence four days after Lynette was swept away, stating he is heartbroken over the accident. Brian Hooker left a voicemail saying authorities had found a flotation device he threw to Lynette Hooker after she went overboard.
Hooker was arrested by police in the Bahamas on Wednesday after his wife vanished. Brian Hooker slipped off a boat during a police transport, suffering knee pain and abrasions, according to his attorney. During the transport, Hooker was cuffed and rough conditions prevented him from holding on for safety. Authorities first interviewed Hooker and released him, then brought him back in as a witness, and a third time as a suspect.
The last time I saw my wife, she was swimming towards Hope Town, but I lost sight of her in the dark and large waves.
A source close to the family said Hooker only called his stepdaughter Karli on Sunday, a full day after Lynette went missing. Lynette Hooker's daughter and mother have several questions about what happened and have been trying to reach Bahamian authorities for information. Hamlett is racing to get an emergency passport to fly to the Bahamas. Both women want a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Lynette Hooker has been missing for more than a week with no sign found. An American woman is missing at sea in the Bahamas after reportedly falling overboard during an evening dinghy ride with her husband.
I shot up flares when boats passed, but they didn't see them.
Fishermen in the area fear sharks may have eaten Lynette, with a boat captain noting the waters are full of bull sharks.
The specific evidence or inconsistencies that led Bahamian authorities to arrest Brian Hooker and question him as a suspect in his wife's disappearance have not been disclosed. The exact timeline of events from the time Lynette fell overboard to when Brian Hooker called police, including any delays or actions taken, remains unclear. Full results of the police investigation, including any forensic evidence from the dinghy or surveillance footage analysis, have not been released.
Where exactly Lynette Hooker's body is or what happened to her after she fell overboard remains unknown, given the extensive search and recovery efforts have found no sign. The specific allegations or suspicions held by Lynette's family and authorities that prompted calls for a thorough investigation and legal action have not been detailed publicly.