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The mysterious disappearance of an American woman in the Bahamas has taken a troubling turn as her daughter unveils a murky past linked to her stepfather. Lynette Hooker, a 55-year-old resident of Onsted, Michigan, vanished after reportedly falling overboard during a boat excursion with her husband, Brian Hooker, 58.
According to reports, the incident occurred while the couple was traveling from Hope Town to Elbow Cay in the Abaco Islands. The pair set off in an 8-foot dinghy around 7:30 p.m. on a Saturday evening, as recounted by Brian to the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBF).
Their destination was their yacht named Soulmate. However, tragedy struck when, according to Brian, Lynette slipped and fell into the water. He claimed the unfortunate accident was due to adverse weather conditions. Complicating matters further, Lynette was reportedly holding the key to the dinghy, which resulted in the engine shutting off.
This incident prompted a swift response from both Bahamian and U.S. authorities, who initiated a coordinated search-and-rescue mission. The U.S. Coast Guard soon joined the operation, deploying aerial support in an effort to locate Lynette.
A joint search-and-rescue operation by Bahamian and US authorities was immediately launched, with the US Coast Guard later joining the effort by air.
By Tuesday, the teams announced the mission had become a recovery operation, Hope Town Volunteer Fire and Rescue Lead Richard Cook told CNN.
As the desperate search continues, Lynette’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth, 28, shared harrowing details about her mother and stepfather’s relationship.
‘There is a history of him 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,’ she told Fox News.
Lynette Hooker, 55, went missing in the Bahamas after falling overboard during a boat ride with her husband on Saturday
As the desperate search continues, Lynette’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth, 28, shared harrowing details about her mother and stepfather’s relationship
Lynette’s husband, 58-year-old Brian Hooker said they were heading to their yacht, Soulmate, when she slipped and fell due to poor weather while holding the key to the dinghy
‘There has also been a history of domestic violence in that relationship, so I do believe something might have happened to her.’
Aylesworth explained why she feels the circumstances surrounding her mother’s disappearance are suspicious and called for a full investigation into what happened.
‘It just doesn’t add up. My mom is very fit and strong. She’s a good swimmer, like, why was she swimming away from the boat?’ she said.
 ‘I’m confused why she has the keys because she never drove the dinghy. It was always Brian. So the story just doesn’t add up right now.’
Aylesworth shared a voicemail Brian sent her with CBS News, in which he spoke about throwing a flotation device to Lynette after she fell.Â
‘Hello, honey, it’s Dad. I just got a call from Hope Town Search and Rescue, and they found the flotation device that I threw to Mom when she fell overboard,’ he told his stepdaughter.
Aylesworth’s comments come just a day after she released a statement calling for a more thorough investigation by US federal officials.
‘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,’ she said.
Aylesworth said there is a history of her stepfather threatening to throw Lynette overboard and believes the circumstances surrounding her mother’s disappearance are suspicious
Aylesworth shared a voicemail Brian sent her with CBS News , in which he spoke about throwing a flotation device to Lynette after she fell
‘While the Royal Bahamian police are investigating this matter, I would also appreciate any involvement of the federal, state or local authorities to look into the circumstances of this tragic situation.’
Brian broke his silence in a Wednesday morning Facebook post, writing that he is ‘heartbroken’ over Lynette’s disappearance.Â
‘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.’
The couple regularly documented their life on the water on social media under the username ‘The Sailing Hookers,’ often showcasing their yacht.
In their most recent Instagram post, shared Friday afternoon, they featured a small boat with the caption, ‘Not going anywhere for a while?!’
Meanwhile, their YouTube channel further captured years of life on the open water, with short videos filmed aboard their sailboat, Soulmate.
The final video, posted just four weeks ago, showed the couple in the Bahamas taking an early-morning paddleboard trip along Marsh Harbour, a location known as a ‘world-class boating destination.’