A Michigan man has been taken into police custody in the Bahamas after his wife disappeared at sea, according to investigators and media reports.
Officers arrested the 59-year-old on Wednesday evening, the Royal Bahamas Police Force said. The agency did not provide names, but media reports have previously identified the couple as Michigan residents Brian Hooker and Lynette Hooker.
The couple run a YouTube channel documenting their travel adventures under the name “The Sailing Hookers.” They recently shared a YouTube Short on their channel joking about not getting along with each other.
Brian is now being questioned in connection with Lynette’s disappearance, police said. His attorney, Terrel Butler, told The Independent he “categorically and unequivocally denies any wrongdoing” and has been cooperating with authorities.
Here’s everything we know so far about the case:
Lynette Hooker reported missing during boating trip
The Royal Bahamas Police Force said officers responded to reports of a woman, later identified as Lynette, who “fell overboard” while on a boating trip with her husband on April 4.
“According to preliminary information, a male complainant reported that he and his wife, both U.S. nationals, departed Hope Town around 7:30 p.m. aboard an 8-foot hard-bottom dinghy enroute to Elbow Cay,” the agency said in a statement released Sunday.
“During the journey, his wife reportedly fell overboard with the boat keys, causing the vessel’s engine to shut off. Strong currents subsequently carried her away, and he lost sight of her. He then paddled the vessel to shore,” the statement continued.
Police said Tuesday that “search operations and investigative efforts remain active.” Several agencies are assisting with the search, and their operations “have spanned marine, land, and aerial areas, with additional support from drone technology and professional divers.”
Brian Hooker arrested for questioning
A 59-year-old man was taken into custody on Wednesday evening in connection with her disappearance, police said. Media reports identified him as Lynette’s husband, Brian. No charges have been announced.
“He is currently being questioned in connection with the matter,” the Royal Bahamas Police Force said in a statement.
Just hours before he was reportedly taken into custody, Brian shared a Facebook post thanking authorities for their efforts to find Lynette.
“I am heartbroken over the recent boat accident in unpredictable seas and high winds that caused my beloved Lynette to fall from our small dinghy near Elbow Cay in the Bahamas,” he wrote.
“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 added.
Advardo Dames, the assistant commissioner of the Royal Bahamas Police, told Reuters Hooker was taken into custody “for additional questioning based on some probable cause we have.”
“He's been taken into custody as a suspect. He's been arrested," Dames added.
The U.S. Coast Guard is also conducting a criminal investigation into her disappearance, an agency official confirmed to The Independent.
When asked about Lynette's disappearance, a State Department spokesperson confirmed officials are aware of the case and recent arrest but offered few other details, citing privacy and other considerations.
The spokesperson also noted that "when Americans are detained abroad, we provide consular assistance consistent with U.S. law."
The Independent has contacted the Royal Bahamas Police Force requesting more information.
Lynette and Brian Hooker ran a YouTube channel
Lynette and Brian often recorded their travel adventures and posted them on their YouTube channel, “The Sailing Hookers.”
Their most recent video, titled “A little Paddleboarding this morning #bahamas,” was posted on March 9.
They also shared a YouTube Short on their channel that joked about them getting sick of each other.
The video includes text that reads: “Don’t you two ever get sick of each other?” Lower down on the screen, it shows a clip of two people dancing beneath the caption, “Me and my Husband,” as the 1995 hit song “Be My Lover” by La Bouche plays in the background.
Lynette Hooker’s daughter says couple has ‘history of not getting along’
Lynette’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth, has spoken out about the case in interviews with several media outlets.
Aylesworth told NBC News Lynette was unlikely to “just fall” off the boat, and explained the couple has a “history of not getting along, especially when they drink.”
During a Fox News interview, she also described her mother as a "very fit person" who was unlikely to lose her balance.
"I do believe something might have happened to her," Aylesworth told the network. "There's history of them choking her out and threatening to throw her overboard. So the fact that this is actually happening makes me believe there's more to the story."
Brian denies Aylesworth’s allegations, his attorney told The Independent.
“Mr. Hooker categorically and unequivocally denies any wrongdoing and in particular the allegations recently made by Karli Aylesworth. He has been cooperating with the relevant authorities as part of an ongoing investigation,” he said.
Lynette’s mother, Darlene Hamlett, told CNN the family has “many unanswered questions.”
“We are still holding on for a positive outcome to this tragedy,” she added.
