The husband of missing American rower Lynette Hooker shared with a friend that strong winds might have swept his wife away after she reportedly went overboard in the Bahamas. This information emerged through a Facebook message.
“The wind pulled me away from her and she swam toward the yacht, and we quickly lost sight of each other as it was just about sunset,” Brian recounted to family friend Daniel Danforth. This message, sent on Monday—two days following Lynette’s disappearance—indicated heightened concern.
Brian, 59, reportedly filed a lawsuit after Danforth reached out following an ABC World News report discussing his wife’s situation.
However, his account conflicts with law enforcement reports. Allegedly, Lynette indicated that she had been washed away while attempting to return to their yacht, Soulmate, as they faced strong currents.
Lynette, 55, fell into the water on Saturday night while still clutching the keys to her dinghy, causing the engine to fail. “We tried to row with one oar for the next seven hours until we ended up on the shore of the next island,” Brian shared with Danforth.
Currently, searches continue for Lynette. “There’s a lot happening right now, but thank you for checking in on us,” Brian mentioned to his friend.
In response to Danforth’s prayer, Brian expressed his gratitude, saying, “Our family is in hell right now.” Despite extensive search efforts, Lynette remains unaccounted for, and Brian noted that she was docked at the Conch Inn marina resort, where family members were expected to arrive soon.
“We’ll probably spend a night or two together until the weather improves, then return to the site for more searching,” he added.
“There’s a good chance I’ll need help in the future, though I’m unsure what that will look like yet. One day at a time, I guess,” he reflected.
Upon comparing Brian’s narrative to police reports, Danforth remarked, “The stories don’t quite fit together.” He expressed confusion over why Brian did not attempt to rescue Lynette, particularly since she had seemingly fallen from the dinghy. Additionally, he noted Brian’s participation in weekend boat launches during the ongoing search, which raised questions for him.
“You know my wife is missing. Facebook is my biggest concern right now,” Brian reportedly stated. “You’ll find me out on the water,” he added.
Brian, visibly heartbroken by his wife’s disappearance, was arrested on Wednesday night and designated a “suspect” in the case.
Following his arrest, he fell from a police boat while in handcuffs, sustaining minor injuries, as mentioned by his attorney.
No formal charges have been brought against Brian yet. Lynette’s family has indicated that they don’t expect charges unless specific evidence arises.
“We don’t expect that [he’ll be charged] unless we find blood stains on the dinghy or her body or any other critical evidence,” stated Steve Hansen, Lynette’s daughter’s boyfriend.
Concerns have emerged regarding the possibility of something sinister occurring at sea, with hints at Brian’s allegedly prior violent behavior towards Lynette. “There’s a history of him threatening her and being violent. This makes me believe there’s something more behind this situation,” voiced her daughter.
Neighbors confirmed that the couple had been in frequent conflict, with some describing the situation as severe, while past records revealed Lynette’s incarceration in 2015 following a domestic incident involving Brian.
