Karli Aylesworth, the daughter of missing American woman Lynette Hooker, says she has been “privy to very little information” since her mother vanished during a boating trip in the Bahamas with her husband.
Lynette Hooker, who is from Onsted, Michigan, “reportedly fell overboard” on the night of Saturday, April 4, while traveling by small dinghy from Hope Town to Elbow Cay, according to the Royal Bahamas Police Force, People magazine reports.
In a statement obtained by People, Aylesworth emphasized that her “sole concern is to find out what happened to my mother and make sure a full and complete investigation is performed into her disappearance.”
Brian Hooker said he is “heartbroken” about the search for “my beloved Lynette”, who went overboard on Saturday and hasn’t been seen since. https://t.co/akl6NN205c
— ABC10 (@ABC10) April 8, 2026
Authorities say Lynette’s husband told investigators they were returning to their yacht when she went missing amid severe weather conditions, according to Richard Cook, team leader with the Hope Town Volunteer Fire and Rescue.
Lynette Hooker, 55, and her husband, Brian Hooker, 58, were attempting to return to their yacht named “Soulmate” when Lynette Hooker “bounced” out of the boat, Richard Cook with Hope Town Volunteer Fire and Rescue, CNN reports.
The family of Lynette Hooker, an American woman who went missing at sea of over the weekend in Abaco, is calling for a deeper investigation into her disappearance.https://t.co/LTdfAdpXPX via @ZNSDigital
— The ZNS Network (@ZNSDigital) April 8, 2026
The couple faced rough currents after leaving Hope Town heading for Elbow Cay Saturday night in an 8-foot hard-bottom dinghy, according to a statement from the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
Cook said Lynette Hooker was not wearing a personal flotation device. However, her daughter, Karli Aylesworth said that Brian Hooker left her a voicemail saying a flotation device had been thrown to Lynette after she went overboard. He reportedly told officials he last saw his wife swimming in the direction of shore.
At the time she fell, Lynette Hooker was holding the engine safety lanyard, which went into the water with her. Without the key, the boat quickly lost power, forcing Brian Hooker to paddle toward land, police said. He drifted roughly four miles toward Marsh Harbour, Abaco. “Mr. Hooker then tried to row but the winds were 18-22 kts and (he) could not make headway,” Cook said.
After eventually reaching shore, he beached the dinghy and made his way through the brush to the Marsh Harbour Boat Yards, where he contacted police, according to Hope Town Volunteer Fire and Rescue.
“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,” Aylesworth said. She said there have also been previous incidents that were reported to her which “may be relevant information for a complete investigation.” She declined to elaborate on what those incidents were when reached for further comment.
“If this was an accident, I’ll forgive and I can accept that,” the daughter continued. “However, there needs to be an intensive review of the facts and circumstances of this tragic incident before that can be determined.”
When reached on Tuesday, April 7, Cook said officials in the Bahamas “don’t suspect foul play at the moment” in relation to the Lynette Hooker tragedy. “It was just a lot of bad decisions,” he explained. “Night time, very windy, no moon out yet so it was pitch dark and very rough conditions for the small boat they were in.”
Cook said volunteer searches in the Bahamas for Lynette Hooker have since transitioned to recovery efforts. The Royal Bahamas Police Force did not immediately return requests for further comment. Hooker’s husband also has not been reached.
