Bahamian authorities have launched a multi-agency search for an American woman who vanished after reportedly falling overboard from a small boat during a holiday trip with her husband.
According to police statements, the incident occurred on Saturday evening around 7:30 PM local time near the Abaco islands. The woman, identified as Lynette Hooker from Michigan, was aboard an 8-foot hard-bottom dinghy traveling from Hope Town to Elbow Cay when she fell into the water.
Her husband, also a U.S. national, told investigators that strong currents swept his wife away immediately after she went overboard, taking the boat's keys with her. He reportedly lost sight of her in the water before paddling the vessel to shore, eventually reaching the Marsh Harbour Boat Yard around 4:00 AM on Sunday.
"She apparently bounced out of the boat," said Hope Town Volunteer Fire and Rescue chief Troy Pritchard in an interview with CBS News. "Strong currents subsequently carried her away, and he lost sight of her."
The Royal Bahamas Police Force confirmed that multiple agencies are involved in the search, including the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, U.S. counterparts, and local volunteers. The husband alerted a person at the boat yard about his wife's disappearance, who then notified authorities.
The incident comes amid ongoing safety concerns about boating in the region. In a March 2025 travel advisory, the U.S. State Department warned that "boating is not well regulated" in the Bahamas and noted that "injuries and deaths have occurred" in previous incidents.
Search operations continue as authorities work to locate the missing woman in the waters surrounding the Abaco islands.