Maritime Crime and Safety

Bahamian authorities say they have taken a 59-year-old U.S. citizen into custody for questioning in the disappearance of Michigan resident Lynette Hooker, who was reported overboard from an 8-foot dinghy near Elbow Cay in the Abaco Islands over the weekend. The Royal Bahamas Defence Force has shifted from a rescue to a search-and-recovery operation, while the U.S. Coast Guard’s Criminal Investigative Service has launched a criminal investigation in coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the case involves a U.S.-flagged vessel in international waters. Hooker’s husband, Brian Hooker, told Bahamian police that she fell overboard with the boat keys on Saturday night and was carried away by currents before he paddled to shore and reached Marsh Harbour Boat Yard around 4 a.m. Sunday, but her adult daughter says she doubts that account, citing her mother’s long sailing experience and questions about why she would have had the ignition key. Bahamian police have declined to release the detained man’s name under their policy, and U.S. officials caution the investigation is in its early stages as search crews continue to look for Hooker, who was last seen wearing a black bathing suit. The case is drawing growing online attention from U.S. travelers and boating communities who are pressing for answers and tracking how aggressively U.S. and Bahamian authorities pursue potential foul play.