American couple chasing retirement dream in Bahamas boating mystery were 'inexperienced': Friend

Tune successful to Fox and Friends Wednesday greeting to spot much of Griff Jenkins' interrogation with Lynette Hooker's daughter.

HOPE TOWN, Bahamas —The American pistillate who went missing successful the Bahamas aft her hubby said she fell disconnected a tiny vessel had been surviving retired her status imagination of sailing erstwhile calamity struck, according to a friend. Along the way, the mates had been gathering a societal media pursuing and forging connections crossed the country.

Lynette Hooker, 55 and her husband, Brian Hooker, 58, near Hope Town's Abaco Inn astatine astir 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 4 minutes aft the sunset that nighttime connected a tiny vessel headed to their yacht successful Elbow Cay, according to Bahamian officials.

Brian Hooker reportedly told officials that portion the mates were connected the smaller boat, known arsenic a dinghy, Lynette fell into the h2o with the ignition key, causing the motor to unopen off. The existent carried her away, according to Brian, who paddled backmost to a marina astatine Marsh Harbor. He reported Lynette missing astatine astir 4:00 a.m. connected Sunday.

John Waters, who is friends with the couple, told Fox News Digital helium met Lynette and astatine an oyster barroom successful Panama City Beach, Florida successful 2023. He said the mates was connected a travel astir the Gulf of America.

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Lynette Hooker and Brian Hooker seen successful a representation taken successful 2023 connected a tiny boat. (John Waters)

"Their caller manner was this vessel that they picked up successful Texas. They spent a twelvemonth moving connected it," Waters said.

He described the mates arsenic some truly bully and said they were going for their status imagination of sailing. He said the mates "weren’t that experienced" successful boating.

Three days into the hunt for Lynette, authorities person provided fewer answers.

General presumption of the Abaco Inn, Hope Town, The Bahamas, Tuesday, April 7, 2026. Brian Hooker, and his wife, Lynette Hooker were seen having meal present connected Saturday nighttime earlier Lynette was reportedly mislaid astatine oversea aft falling disconnected of the couple's boat. (AJ Skuy for Fox News Digital) (AJ Skuy for Fox News Digital)

Richard Cook, squad person with Hope Town Volunteer Fire and Rescue, told PEOPLE foul play isn't suspected.

"It was conscionable a batch of atrocious decisions," Cook said. "Night time, precise windy, nary satellite retired yet truthful it was transportation acheronian and precise unsmooth conditions for the tiny vessel they were in."

WATCH: Daughter of missing American successful Bahamas says her parent ne'er drove the tiny boat

Karli Aylesworth, Lynette Hooker's daughter, who isn't related to Brian, told Fox News' Griff Jenkins that Brian Hooker has a past of being convulsive towards her mother. She did respective interviews with media outlets connected Tuesday, including with Fox News' Griff Jenkins.

"I bash judge thing mightiness person happened to her," she said. "There's past of them choking her retired and threatening to propulsion her overboard. So the information that this is really happening makes maine judge there's much to the story."

Fox News Digital has reached retired to Brian Hooker respective times but has not received a response. He has not been charged with a crime.

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Aylesworth told Fox News Digital that Brian Hooker's behaviour would displacement erstwhile drinking alcohol.

"He starts to enactment much smart-a---y and much picking astatine you and similar 'I cognize this volition irritate you truthful I'm gonna bash that'" benignant of attitude.

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Aylesworth described her parent arsenic a "very acceptable person" who wouldn't suffer her equilibrium connected a boat.

"I'm confused wherefore she has the keys due to the fact that she ne'er drove the dinghy. It was ever Brian. So the communicative conscionable doesn't adhd up close now," Aylesworth said.

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An American pistillate went missing successful the Bahamas connected Saturday aft falling overboard during a vessel travel and being swept distant by beardown currents, section constabulary said. (Fox News)

Geoff Fahringer, erstwhile dive squad subordinate for the Collier County Sheriff's Office successful Florida, told Fox News Digital that helium doesn't fishy foul play.

"Sadly, what I've seen successful my acquisition is that this is unluckily a somewhat communal occurrence that seeing the circumstances of this full accident, it's thing I've seen before," Fahringer said.

WATCH: Boating adept says Bahamas boating incidental is 'common occurrence'

Authorities haven't said if Lynette Hooker was wearing a beingness overgarment astatine the clip she fell disconnected the tiny boat.

The mates is precise progressive connected societal media, mostly showcasing their yacht. Their astir recent Instagram post on Friday day showed Lynette connected a vessel with the caption, "Not going anyplace for a while?!"

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A 56-year-old American woman, identified arsenic Lynette Hooker, disappears aft going overboard during a vessel travel successful the Bahamas, according to section officials. (Brian Hooker/Facebook)

The Royal Bahamas Police Force is investigating the woman's disappearance on with the Royal Bahamas Defense Force and Hope Town Fire & Rescue.

The U.S. State Department currently says the Bahamas issued a level 2 question advisory for the Bahamas, is nether a level 2 question advisory and urges Americans to "exercise accrued caution" owed to crime, formation safety, arsenic good arsenic pitchy skis and boating dangers.

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General presumption of Marsh Harbour Boatyards, The Bahamas, Tuesday, April 7, 2026. Brian Hooker, 58, reportedly paddle his vessel backmost to the boatyards connected Sunday greeting aft losing his wife, Lynette Hooker astatine sea. (AJ Skuy for Fox News Digital) (AJ Skuy for Fox News Digital)

A spokesperson for the State Department told Fox News Digital the bureau is alert of reports regarding the missing American and is moving with Bahamian authorities.

Boating successful the Bahamas isn't good regulated, and the State Department has said that "injuries and deaths person occurred."