A multi-agency search and rescue mission is actively ongoing after a 56-year-old American woman went missing overboard from a small dinghy during a night voyage in the waters off Abaco, The Bahamas, with authorities from both The Bahamas and the United States coordinating their response efforts.
The incident unfolded on Saturday evening, when Lynette Hooker and her 58-year-old husband Brian Hooker departed from Hope Town at approximately 7:30 p.m. The pair, confirmed by international media reports to be residents of Onsted, Michigan, were traveling on an 8-foot dinghy en route to their personal yacht, named Soulmate, anchored near Elbow Cay.
According to official statements from Bahamian law enforcement, accounts from Brian Hooker indicate that Lynette fell overboard while she was holding the vessel’s ignition keys. The accidental fall cut power to the dinghy’s engine immediately, leaving the craft adrift as strong ocean currents pulled Lynette away from the boat before her husband could intervene. Brian quickly lost sight of her in the dark night conditions.
Stranded without a working engine, Brian Hooker was forced to paddle the small dinghy to shore manually, a journey that took more than eight hours. He did not reach the Marsh Harbour Boat Yard until around 4 a.m. on Sunday, where he immediately notified on-site staff, who in turn contacted Bahamian police to launch the official response.
Since receiving the alert, multiple Bahamian agencies have joined the search effort, including local police units, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, and the Hope Town Fire & Rescue department. Search teams have been combing the surrounding coastal and open waters near the incident site for any sign of Lynette Hooker.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State confirmed that U.S. authorities are aware of the incident and are actively working alongside Bahamian counterparts to provide all necessary assistance to the operation. As of the latest update, investigations and search efforts remain ongoing, with no new information on Lynette Hooker’s status released to the public.