Michigan man whose wife disappeared at sea returns to U.S., reports say

Charles E. Ramirez, The Detroit News on Apr 16, 2026

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The Lenawee County man whose wife disappeared at sea while in the Bahamas over Easter weekend has returned to the U.S., according to media reports.

Brian Hooker, 59, of Onsted, was released by the Royal Bahamas Police Force on Monday. He was arrested last week in connection with the disappearance of 56-year-old Lynette Hooker, who went missing at sea on Saturday while traveling from Hope Town to Elbow Cay.

Media outlets, such as People.com, CBS, and NBC, have reported that Brian Hooker left the Bahamas days after being released from police custody.

Terrel Butler, his attorney in the Bahamas, said Hooker left the islands to visit his mother, who is ill, and that it was unclear when he would return, according to People.com.

On Tuesday, Hooker told CBS News that he wants to believe his wife is still alive.

Last week, Butler said her client fell off a police boat transporting him to his vessel in the Bahamas.

"He had to be rescued from the water by the police," she said. "As a result of this fall, Brian sustained an injury to his knee, which has caused him to limp, as well as a visible abrasion."

According to a preliminary investigation, Hooker reported to the Royal Bahamas Police Force that he and his wife departed from Hope Town at about 7:30 p.m. on April 4 aboard an 8-foot dinghy for Elbow Cay.

Police said Hooker told officers his wife had gone overboard with the boat keys, causing the vessel's engine to shut off. He reported that strong currents carried her away, and he lost sight of her, investigators said.

He later told detectives that he paddled the dinghy to shore.

Officials said Hooker arrived at the Marsh Harbour Boat Yard in the Bahamas at about 4 a.m. Sunday. He informed a person at the boatyard, and that individual alerted the police, according to authorities.

Lynette Hooker's daughter, Karli Aylesworth, said her mother and stepfather are avid travelers who had been in the Bahamas for about a month before she disappeared.

Aylesworth said the two had been married for about 25 years, and they were living on their boat in the Caribbean.

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