A man paddled to shore on an island off the Bahamas, showing up on land at 4 a.m. Saturday and saying his wife had fallen off their boat and floated away. And a mystery was born.
The Bahamian authorities said they are still searching for Lynette Hooker, 55, of Onsted, Mich., who was boating with her husband Brian Hooker when she disappeared. He said she had the keys to the boat on her person, which is why he had to paddle back after she fell off the small, flat-bottomed dingy as the couple was heading from Hope Town to Elbow Cay.
The pair live Irish Hills, a lush area about 15 miles outside Adrian, Mich., and they documented their love of travel on social media. Brian Hooker took to social media again, this time to discuss his missing wife, on Wednesday.
"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. 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. Our family is deeply grateful for the Bahamian people’s assistance, especially that of the Hopetown Volunteer Fire & Rescue team, Royal Bahamas police force, Royal Bahamas Defense Force, and the US Coast Guard, who have worked tirelessly in an ongoing effort to bring Lynette back to us. Thank you to everyone for keeping Lynette in your thoughts and for your support of our family during this difficult time."
Meanwhile, Lynette's daughter Karli Aylesworth tells a different story. She says she's suspicious of the circumstances surrounding her mother going missing.
"It just doesn't add up why she was swimming away from the boat or why she had the keys," Aylesworth told CNN. She also told CBS News her mother had recently split up with Hooker, who is Aylesworth's stepfather. She also told CBS the couple's lives "have been a lot of fighting and drinking lately."
"Sorry, I have known past issues between them have not been good," she added. "So it's just weird that this is happening now. Like kind of like, okay, you said this was gonna probably happen, and now it's happening."
One of the things that don't add up, the daughter added, is that Brian Hooker always drove the boat so she didn't believe that her mother would have had the keys on her.
The U.S. Coast Guard has joined the search for Lynette, and it has reportedly been changed from a rescue mission to one of recovery.
'It just doesn't add up," daughter says.
'It just doesn't add up," daughter says.
