An American who was arrested in the Bahamas after his wife vanished while the couple were traveling in a motorboat near the archipelago denies any wrongdoing, his attorney said Thursday.
Brian Hooker 鈥渃ategorically and unequivocally denies any wrongdoing” and has been cooperating with authorities, lawyer Terrel Butler said in the statement. Butler said Hooker could not provide further comments while investigations are continuing.
Authorities said the husband, a 59-year-old man whom they did not identify, on Wednesday and is being questioned. Police and Butler did not provide further details, including whether or not he was charged.
A U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson told The Associated Press that they have opened a criminal investigation into the case.
Officials have said Lynette Hooker, 55, was traveling in an 8-foot motorboat from Hope Town to Elbow Cay on Saturday night, and that her husband, Brian Hooker, told authorities she fell overboard with the boat keys, causing the engine to turn off.
Authorities said Brian Hooker then paddled to shore and alerted someone about her disappearance early Sunday.
鈥淪trong currents subsequently carried her away, and he lost sight of her,鈥� police said in a statement issued Saturday.
Lynette Hooker鈥檚 mother, Darlene Hamlett, told The Associated Press late Wednesday that she was 鈥済lad to hear鈥� about the arrest, but declined further comment, saying she was seeking more information.
Earlier on Wednesday, she said she wanted to hear more from her son-in-law about how her daughter disappeared. The couple had been married for more than two decades and lived in Onsted, Michigan. Online records gave Brian Hooker鈥檚 age as 58, and the reason for the discrepancy wasn鈥檛 immediately clear.
鈥淚鈥檓 going to be interested in what he says, because I haven鈥檛 heard from him in almost two days,鈥� Hamlett said while on a six-hour drive back home from the Bahamian Consulate in Miami, where she secured a passport so she can fly to the Caribbean nation soon.
鈥淥ur family grew up on water and so Lynette her whole life has been near lakes, on boats, sailing and swimming,鈥� Hamlett said. 鈥淚t would be a miracle if (she鈥檚 rescued), but I鈥檓 still counting on one.鈥�
Lynette Hooker鈥檚 daughter, Karli Aylesworth, that it is unlikely her mother would 鈥渏ust fall鈥� off the boat, saying she was an experienced sailor. The couple had been sailing for years and documented their voyages on social media under the moniker, 鈥淭he Sailing Hookers.鈥�
Aylesworth also told NBC that the couple鈥檚 relationship was volatile, and that they have a 鈥渉istory of not getting along, especially when they drink.鈥�
She she doubted her mother survived and was able to tread water that long, but hoped to find her to get closure.
Butler’s statement said that Brian Hooker’s denial of wrongdoing includes in particular 鈥渢he allegations recently made by Karli Aylesworth.鈥�
On Wednesday morning, Brian Hooker wrote on Facebook that he is 鈥渉eartbroken over the recent boat accident in unpredictable seas and high winds that caused my beloved Lynette to fall from our small dinghy near Elbow Cay in the Bahamas.鈥�
鈥淒espite desperate attempts to reach her, the winds and currents drove us further apart,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淲e continue to search for her and that is my sole focus.鈥�
The U.S. Coast Guard has also joined the investigation and interviewed Aylesworth on Wednesday, according to her attorney, Ron Marienfeld.
鈥淲e are pleased to see it is being investigated, and hopefully more answers will come to give the family some closure,鈥� Marienfeld said via email.
Bahamian police said search operations and investigative efforts remain active.
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