Lynette Hooker told a friend ‘I can’t be out there with him’ before Bahamas disappearance

BAHAMAS: Newly surfaced messages sent by Lynette Hooker to a close friend months before her disappearance in the Bahamas provide insight into her concerns about her husband and their life at sea.

The 55-year-old American woman went missing on April 4 after reportedly falling overboard during a nighttime boat ride.

Her husband, Brian Hooker, has since been questioned by authorities as part of an ongoing investigation.

The messages, obtained by CBS News, are now drawing attention as investigators examine the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.

Messages reveal concerns about marriage 

Text messages sent between January and February 2024 show Lynette Hooker expressing unease about her relationship with her husband and their decision to live on the water.

In one message to her friend Marnee Stevenson, she wrote, “It was real bad. I can’t be out there with him.”

The messages suggest the couple had separated during that period. “I guess it was too much closeness. We decided to call it quits. I'm not going back,” Lynette wrote.

She also reflected on the strain of their lifestyle change, stating, “We were married 21 years. Our marriage lasted 6 weeks cruising.”

Lynette, who had previously lived in Michigan, described the extent of her commitment to the boating lifestyle, telling her friend she had “quit my awesome career, sold my house and gave away everything I own to cruise.”

At the time, she left Brian and stayed with her mother in Florida.

Despite these concerns, the messages indicate the couple later reconciled.

In late February 2024, after Stevenson asked if things were improving, Lynette responded with heart emojis and a thumbs-up.

The couple had been sailing together since at least 2023, when they met the Stevensons while boating near Florida.

Probe intensifies as husband questioned, account scrutinized

Brian Hooker reported his wife missing on April 5, telling authorities she had been swept overboard the previous evening during a dinghy trip near the Abaco Islands.

According to his account, Lynette fell into the water amid strong winds and currents and inadvertently took the motor’s kill-switch cord with her, leaving him unable to restart the engine. He said he then paddled several miles to shore to seek help.

Authorities in the Bahamas have since detained Brian Hooker for questioning.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force said he was held based on “some probable cause,” though no charges have been filed.

His attorney, Terrel Butler, has stated that Brian “categorically and unequivocally denies any wrongdoing,” is heartbroken, and wants to resume searching for his wife.

The case has also prompted scrutiny from Lynette’s family.

Her daughter, Karli Aylesworth, has questioned aspects of Brian’s account, including why he reportedly paddled away from the area where Lynette went overboard rather than attempting to locate her.

She has also made allegations of past domestic violence, which Brian’s attorney has denied.

In a statement following his detention, Brian said “unpredictable seas and high winds” caused his “beloved Lynette to fall from our small dinghy.”

Meanwhile, US authorities, including the Coast Guard, have opened a separate investigation into the incident.