Bahamas police release Michigan man questioned after woman disappears from their boat | Bahamas

Police in the Bahamas was released without charge to Michigan man who said his wife disappeared after falling overboard from a small boat in waters off the Caribbean island nation, authorities said Monday.

Brian Hooker, from Onsted in the south Michiganhad been in police custody since April 8 – five days – after being questioned by authorities.

Law enforcement officials freed him after he consulted with prosecutors, who recommended filing charges at this time, with investigations ongoing.

Brian Hooker told police that Lynette Hooker, 55, fell overboard on the night of April 4 when they were traveling in an 8ft (2.4m) motorboat from Hope Town to Elbow Cay, a group of small islands at the eastern end of the Bahamas. He said Lynette had the boat’s keys, which caused the vessel’s engine to shut down and forced him to row ashore.

“Strong currents then carried her away, and he lost sight of her,” police said in a statement.

After reaching shore, Brian Hooker notified someone about his wife’s disappearance early the next day, according to authorities.

Hooker has denied any wrongdoing, according to his attorney, Terrel Butler. In an interview on Tuesday I tell CBS News that he believed his wife was still alive – and planned to search for her as soon as possible.

“I won’t be able to stop watching,” Hooker said with emotion in his voice, according to CBS. He added that “someone with more authority” would have to tell him to stop.

The US Coast Guard has opened a separate investigation.

The couple have been married for more than 20 years and have shared their adventures around the world Caribbean Islands on their Sailing Hookers Facebook page. In 2023, they posted videos of buying a sailboat they named Soul Mate in the coastal town of Rockport, Texas, then embarking on a cruise through the Gulf of Mexico from the port town of Kemah, Texas.

The couple’s home in Onsted is about 70 miles (120 km) southwest of Detroit.

Lynette Hooker’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth, tell NBC News that her mother was unlikely to “just fall off the boat” and said she was an experienced sailor. She noted that the couple had been sailing on their journeys for years.

The couple had a history of feuding, with Brian and Lynette Hooker accusing each other of assault in 2015, according to a Kentwood, Michigan, police report obtained by NBC.

Brian Hooker, who was drunk and bleeding from the nose, told police his wife punched him in the face several times, the report said. He told the officers that Lynette was also drunk. She was arrested and spent the night in jail. A warrant was refused because it was not clear “who started the assault”.