Overview
- Lynette Hooker, 55, vanished Saturday night near Elbow Cay after falling from an 8‑foot dinghy in rough weather, according to Bahamian police.
- Her husband, Brian Hooker, told investigators she went overboard with the engine kill‑switch key, cutting power, and he drifted and rowed about 6 kilometers to Marsh Harbour before alerting police around 4 a.m. Sunday.
- Local police, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, and Hope Town rescue crews searched for six hours Sunday without results, and the U.S. Coast Guard later conducted an aerial sweep.
- Authorities said Tuesday the effort had expanded across sea, land, and air using drones and professional divers, and the mission has now shifted from active search to recovery.
- Hooker’s family says they have little information, with her mother seeking an emergency passport and her daughter retaining a lawyer, while the U.S. State Department offers consular help and Bahamas keep a Level 2 travel alert that warns recreational boating is poorly regulated.