Photo: @the_sailing_hookers/Instagram
Lynette Hooker made an ominous joke about her husband days before she vanished during their trip to the Bahamas and his ensuing arrest.
Hooker, 55, of Onsted, Michigan, shared a short clip on the couple's YouTube account @thesailinghookers, in which she included the overlay text “Don’t you two ever get sick of each other?” above the words, “Me and my husband,” and a clip of two people dancing to the song 'Be My Lover' by La Bouche.
Brian Hooker was arrested by police in the Bahamas on Wednesday (April 8), the Associated Press reports. A Coast Guard spokesperson told the Associated Press late Wednesday that they have opened a criminal investigation into the case, but didn't provide further details on whether Hooker was charged in his wife's disappearance.
The reported arrest came hours after Lynette Hooker's daughter, Karli Aylesworth, told NBC News that her mother and stepfather had a volatile relationship.
Aylesworth said it's unlikely that her experienced mariner mother would "just fall" off the boat and said the couple had a "history of not getting along, especially when they drink." Hooker, 55, of Onsted, Michigan, was on an 8-foot dinghy with her husband en route to their yacht, the "Soulmate," on Elbow Cay when she went overboard at around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday (April 4), the Royal Bahamas Police Force said.
Aylesworth said her stepfather notified her of her mother's disappearance in a "monotone and relaxed" voice during a phone call on Sunday (April 5).
“I was in shock,” she said. “I was like, my mom’s missing? Like, what?”
Poor weather were initially the suspected cause of Hooker falling out of the dinghy, according to Hope Town Volunteer Fire & Rescue Assistant Chief Stafford Patterson. The 55-year-old was holding the boat key at the time, which caused the dinghy's engine to shut off, according to police.
Brian Hooker paddled to a marina and reported his wife overboard to an individual who then called police at around 4:00 a.m., the Royal Bahamas Police Force confirmed. Authorities and volunteers from both the Bahamas and U.S. are taking part in ongoing search and rescue efforts, the department said on Monday (April 6).
Aylesworth had previously shared a statement regarding her mother's disappearance on Monday.
"I have been privy to very little information. My sole concern is to find out what happened to my mother and make sure a full and complete investigation is performed into her disappearance," she said.
"While the Royal Bahamian police are investigating this matter, I would also appreciate any involvement of the federal, state or local authorities to look into the circumstances of this tragic situation," Aylesworth added.