"I am heartbroken over the recent boat accident in unpredictable seas and high winds that caused my beloved Lynette to fall," Brian Hooker wrote on social media
NEED TO KNOW
- Michigan mom Lynette Hooker “reportedly fell overboard” on Saturday night while she and husband Brian Hooker were heading from Hope Town to Elbow Cay in a small dinghy in the Bahamas, police have said
- “I am heartbroken over the recent boat accident in unpredictable seas and high winds that caused my beloved Lynette to fall,” Brian wrote in a new statement on Facebook
- Lynette’s daughter has said there were “prior issues” in the couple’s marriage, but no one has been accused of wrongdoing
The husband of a missing American woman is speaking out days after he told police he watched her go overboard while in the Bahamas — and after his stepdaughter said there were “prior issues” in his marriage.
“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,” Brian Hooker, 58, wrote in a post on Facebook on Wednesday, April 8, alongside a photo of him and his 55-year-old wife.
“Despite desperate attempts to reach her, the winds and currents drove us further apart,” he wrote. “We continue to search for her and that is my sole focus.”
Lynette Hooker, from Onsted, Mich., “reportedly fell overboard” on the night of Saturday, April 4, while she and Brian were heading from Hope Town to Elbow Cay in a small dinghy, the Royal Bahamas Police Force has said.
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Brian said they were traveling back to their yacht when Lynette disappeared amid bad weather, Richard Cook, team leader with the Hope Town Volunteer Fire and Rescue, told PEOPLE earlier this week.
Cook said then that officials “don't suspect foul play at the moment.” No one has been accused of wrongdoing.
“It was just a lot of bad decisions,” Cook said. “Night time, very windy, no moon out yet so it was pitch dark and very rough conditions for the small boat they were in.” He said alcohol was also involved.
Credit: Lynette Hooker/Facebook
Police have said Lynette, who had the boat's keys with her, was carried away by “strong currents” after falling from their boat and her husband eventually “lost sight of her.”
Brian later “paddled the vessel to shore” and alerted others to what happened early on Sunday, April 5, according to police.
The search efforts for Lynette have since become a recovery operation, Cook said.
In his post on Wednesday, Lynette’s husband wrote: “Our family is deeply grateful for the Bahamian people’s assistance, especially that of the Hopetown Volunteer Fire & Rescue team, Royal Bahamas police force, Royal Bahamas Defense Force, and the US Coast Guard, who have worked tirelessly in an ongoing effort to bring Lynette back to us.”
“Thank you to everyone for keeping Lynette in your thoughts and for your support of our family during this difficult time,” Brian continued.
PEOPLE has not been able to reach him for comment, and he declined to speak with CBS News.
Lynette’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth, said in a statement to PEOPLE and in various media interviews that she wants more answers about what happened.
“If this truly was an accident, I can understand and live with it,” Aylesworth said. “However, there needs to be an intensive review of the facts and circumstances of this tragic incident before that can be determined.”
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