Police within the Bahamas have released a Michigan man who said his wife disappeared after falling overboard from a small boat within the waters off the island nation.
Brian Hooker, of Onsted in southern Michigan, had been in police custody since April 8 after being questioned by authorities.
“Police want to advise the general public that the 58-year-old male of U.S. nationality who was taken into custody shortly after 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, eighth April 2026, in Marsh Harbour, Abaco, has been released from policy custody,” the Royal Bahamas Police Force said in a news release.
Police said the choice to release Hooker was “made following consultation with the Department of Public Prosecutions, which really useful that no charges be filed presently pending the end result of further investigations.”
“Police are appealing to members of the general public who could have information which will assist with this investigation,” police added within the news release. “If you could have relevant details, please contact 911, 919, your nearest police station, or the Criminal Investigation Department. Anonymous suggestions are also welcomed through CRIME STOPPERS at 328-TIPS (8477).”
Hooker previously told police that his wife, Lynette Hooker, 55, fell overboard the night of April 4 as they were travelling in a 2.4-metre motorboat from Hope Town to Elbow Cay, a gaggle of small islands on the eastern end of the Bahamas.
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He said Lynette had the boat’s keys on her person when she went overboard, causing the boat’s engine to shut off and forcing him to paddle ashore.
“Strong currents subsequently carried her away, and he overlooked her,” police said in a press release.
After reaching shore, Hooker alerted someone about his wife’s disappearance early the next day, based on authorities.
Hooker has denied any wrongdoing in relation to his wife’s disappearance, based on his lawyer, Terrel Butler.
“That they had no evidence and so they had no alternative but to release him. It’s unlucky they’d to exhaust your entire investigative period to return to the conclusion,” Butler told reporters shortly before Hooker’s release.
Hooker issued a press release on April 8, saying his wife’s disappearance left him “heartbroken.”
“I’m 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 within the Bahamas,” Hooker wrote on Facebook before his arrest. “Despite desperate attempts to succeed in her, the winds and currents drove us further apart. We proceed to go looking for her and that’s my sole focus.
“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’ve worked tirelessly in an ongoing effort to bring Lynette back to us.
“Thanks to everyone for keeping Lynette in your thoughts and to your support of our family during this difficult time.”
The U.S. Coast Guard has opened an investigation separate from the one being conducted by the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
In an interview last week, Karli Aylesworth, Lynette’s daughter, told NBC News that her mother was an experienced sailor, making it unlikely she would “just fall” off the dinghy.
She also claimed that the married couple had a tumultuous relationship and a history of arguing, especially in the event that they had been consuming alcohol.
The couple, each avid sailors with years of experience, documented their journeys on social media as “The Sailing Hookers.”
Aylesworth has created a GoFundMe page to assist “find and honor my missing mom.”
“Memorial for my mom. She is currently missing within the Bahamas. That is to assist the seek for her or to assist lay her to rest. Anything would help. My email is my first and last name at gmail, for those who know anything, please let me know,” the outline for the fundraising page reads.
As of Tuesday morning, the GoFundMe page has raised greater than US$8,000 of its $18,000 goal.
In a Sunday update, Aylesworth said she was heading to the Bahamas on Wednesday.
A U.S. State Department Level 2 travel advisory states that Americans should travel with caution within the Bahamas, including in tourist centres, where thefts and robberies do occur, and warns against moving between islands by boat.
“Watercraft will not be secure, and some operators usually are not licensed or insured,” the advisory says. “Watercraft operators sometimes ignore weather forecasts. All the time follow local weather and marine alerts.”
The advisory also warns that boating isn’t well-regulated within the Bahamas and that injuries and deaths have occurred.
It further cautions against “swimming-related risks,” in addition to sexual assaults and armed robberies.
— With files from Global News’ Rachel Goodman and The Associated Press
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