A woman and her husband were in their dinghy when they were returning to their yacht in the Bahamas, when she went overboard.
Lynette Hooker and her husband, Brian Hooker, were originally from Michigan and were returning to their yacht “Soulmate” when he said their dinghy hit a strong current between Hope Town en route to Elbow Cay on Saturday, CNN reported.
Brian Hooker said his wife “bounced” out of the smaller boat, Hope town Volunteer Fire and Rescue fire team lead, Richard Cook, said.
Cook said Lynette Hooker was not wearing a personal flotation device, but her daughter, Karli Aylesworth, told CNN Brian Hooker left her a voicemail saying he had thrown one to his wife after she went overboard and it was found.
He told officials he saw his wife swim toward shore. He also said that their small craft’s safety lanyard was attached to his wife so when she went over, the boat lost power. He had to paddle to shore, drifting with the current, until he was able to beach the boat on land and walk through the bush to a nearby boatyard where he called the police.
Officials searched for hours in the area, using drones and divers, but did not find her. The U.S. Coast Guard also searched from the air.
The rescue turned to a recovery as of Tuesday.
Aylesworth called her mother an experienced mariner and would not “just fall” from a boat, NBC News reported. She said the call she got from Brian Hooker, her stepfather, was “monotone and relaxed.”
He did post to Facebook on Wednesday, writing that he was “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,” NBC News reported.
“Despite desperate attempts to reach her, the winds and currents drove us further apart,” he continued. “We continue to search for her and that is my sole focus.”
Cook told People magazine that foul play is not suspected.
The U.S. State Department said it was aware of the situation and was working with Bahamian authorities for assistance, The New York Times reported.
Aylesworth said the couple started sailing in a small sailboat and eventually upgraded to the one they lived full-time after selling their home a few years ago. They documented their life on TikTok and Instagram.
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