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Topics: Travel, US News, World News, Police
Britt Jones
An American woman who was swept out to sea in the Bahamas after she allegedly fell overboard during an evening boat ride with her husband has been named.
The woman, who is from Michigan, is believed to have gone into the water when the couple were on a 2.5 mile journey from Hope Town to Elbow Cay on Saturday April 4.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force released a statement online, explaining that the husband was left alone in the waters, after the pair had set off at approximately 7:30pm, leaving him to have to paddle back to shore.
“He lost sight of her,” the police force said in its statement. “He then paddled the vessel to shore.”
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According to the husband, his wife had the keys to the 8-foot hard-bottomed dinghy in her pocket when she went over into the water.
This allegedly caused the boat to shut off, and after she was apparently swept away by a ‘strong’ current, he paddled until 4am to the Marsh Harbour Boat Yard – around 40 minutes by ferry, from where the pair had started, per FerryHopper.
Reports have since identified the woman as Lynette Hooker, married to Brian Hooker, per WIC News.
Police from the island of Abaco said an investigation and search has since been launched to locate Lynette.
According to CNN, the 55-year-old of Onsted, and her 58-year-old husband, were heading back to their yacht called ‘Soulmate,’ when she ‘bounced’ out of the boat.
“She apparently bounced out of the boat," Hope Town Volunteer Fire and Rescue chief Troy Pritchard told CBS News on April 6.
Officials say she was wearing a black bathing suit at the time, as Prichard revealed search teams have been active in the area.
"They've been out again today," he told the outlet. "We still haven't found anything."
Hooker claimed he last saw his wife swimming to the shore, after she went over the boat wearing the engine safety lanyard.
Richard Cook, Fire team lead with Hope Town Volunteer Fire and Rescue told CNN: “Mr. Hooker then tried to row but the winds were 18-22 kts and (he) could not make headway.”
Lynette, who is a mother, has since been spoken about by her daughter, Karli Aylesworth, who has called for a full investigation to Fox News Digital: “I have been privy to very little information. My sole concern is to find out what happened to my mother and make sure a full and complete investigation is performed into her disappearance.”