Photo: @the_sailing_hookers/Instagram
The daughter of Lynette Hooker, the American woman reported missing after falling out of a boat in the Bahamas revealed that her mother and stepfather had a volatile relationship.
Karli Aylesworth told NBC News that it's unlikely that her experienced mariner mother would "just fall" off the boat and said the couple had a "history of not getting along, especially when they drink." Hooker, 55, of Onsted, Michigan, was on an 8-foot dinghy with her husband, Brian, en route to their yacht, the "Soulmate," on Elbow Cay when she went overboard at around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday (April 4), the Royal Bahamas Police Force said.
Aylesworth said her stepfather notified her of her mother's disappearance in a "monotone and relaxed" voice during a phone call on Sunday (April 5).
“I was in shock,” she said. “I was like, my mom’s missing? Like, what?”
Poor weather was the suspected cause of Hooker falling out of the dinghy, according to Hope Town Volunteer Fire & Rescue Assistant Chief Stafford Patterson. It's unclear whether Hooker had a life jacket on when she went overboard, according to Patterson.
The 55-year-old was holding the boat key at the time, which caused the dinghy's engine to shut off, according to police. Brian Hooker paddled to a marina and reported his wife overboard to an individual who then called police at around 4:00 a.m., the Royal Bahamas Police Force confirmed.
Authorities and volunteers from both the Bahamas and U.S. are taking part in ongoing search and rescue efforts, the department said on Monday (April 6). Aylesworth had previously shared a statement regarding her mother's disappearance on Monday.
"I have been privy to very little information. My sole concern is to find out what happened to my mother and make sure a full and complete investigation is performed into her disappearance," she said.
"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 added.