Missing American’s husband had 'spotty' cell service during 8-hour trek to report disappearance: telecom boss

FREEPORT, Bahamas — Brian Hooker spent astir 8 hours paddling his mode crossed a 4.5-mile transmission successful the Bahamas aft his woman reportedly fell disconnected their 8-foot dinghy earlier anyone notified police.

Bahamian officials said Lynette Hooker, 55, and Brian Hooker, 58, departed from Hope Town's Abaco Inn astatine astir 7:30 p.m. connected April 4 and went connected a smaller boat, referred to arsenic a dinghy, to question to their yacht. Brian Hooker reportedly told officials that Lynette fell into the h2o with the ignition key, which caused the motor to chopped off. Brian told authorities that the existent carried Lynette away, and helium paddled the dinghy toward a marina astatine Marsh Harbour. The mates was primitively headed to their yacht successful Elbow Cay.

Local authorities said that Brian Hooker arrived astatine a marina astatine Marsh Harbour astatine astir 4 a.m. connected April 5, astir 8 hours aft Lynette Hooker went overboard.

A unit subordinate astatine the Marsh Harbour marina told Fox News Digital that the hubby walked on the southbound shoreline earlier arriving astatine the dock area, which whitethorn person required covering a important region connected foot. Once astatine the marina, helium went to an bureau and reported that his woman was missing, prompting unit to telephone police.

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Brian and Lynette Hooker person been joined for astir 25 years, household members said. (The Sailing Hookers/Youtube and Instagram)

Exterior 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)

What remains unclear is whether Brian Hooker had entree to his phone, oregon compartment service, during those 8 hours connected the water. His lawyer didn't respond to requests for remark from Fox News Digital.

Lynette's daughter, Karli Aylesworth, told Fox News Digital that the mates usually carried phones connected them portion boating.

Dimitry Malinsky, laminitis and CEO of IntraTEM, a telecommunications company, told Fox News Digital individuals tin apt person cellphone reception, adjacent if it's spotty, implicit the 4.5-mile transmission Brian Hooker paddled his dinghy through.

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He said, however, immoderate of the much distant Bahamian keys don't get compartment service.

"If it's a distant key, similar immoderate of those distant keys successful the Bahamas, it would beryllium conscionable arsenic if you're successful the water and not by onshore due to the fact that if determination are nary compartment towers," Malinsky said.

Criminal defence lawyer Donna Rotunno told Fox News Digital it would beryllium hard to beryllium if Brian Hooker's telephone had service, if investigators find helium had entree to it.

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"They whitethorn beryllium capable to amusement whether oregon not helium was trying to behaviour an outgoing telephone and helium couldn't. But past again, if you're connected immoderate paddle vessel trying to, you know, my conjecture is if helium jumped successful the h2o oregon if helium tried to assistance her successful immoderate way, the telephone was either near connected the vessel oregon the telephone is successful his pouch and past useless due to the fact that of the water," Rotunno said. "Is that evidence? Yes. How compelling it is. We don't person that reply yet."

Brian Hooker’s lawyer, Terrel Butler, told Fox News Digital she doesn’t cognize whether her lawsuit had a cellphone connected him the nighttime his woman vanished.

Whether oregon not Brian Hooker had compartment service, 1 section told Fox News Digital that the travel to Marsh Harbour presented a formidable carnal challenge.

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

A antheral who knew Brian and Lynette Hooker told Fox News Digital that paddling 4.5 miles from adjacent Hope Town to Marsh Harbour without a moving motor was a "Herculean" task, which is what officials accidental Brian Hooker did.

"To enactment 4 miles, the oars suck connected the dinghies and they're precise hard to spell anywhere. To enactment 4 is simply a Herculean task successful these dinghies — we upgraded our oars due to the fact that we couldn't spell anyplace with the banal oars and it's truly a Herculean task and it says a batch that helium was capable to adjacent physically enactment that region successful the conditions," helium said.

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Lynette Hooker went missing aft falling overboard during a vessel travel adjacent Elbow Cay successful the Bahamas connected Saturday evening, constabulary say. (Brian Hooker/Facebook)

Butler said connected Friday that constabulary were questioning Brian Hooker connected a imaginable complaint of causing harm resulting successful death. The interrogation went from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Butler said.

Police, however, didn't question him astir immoderate carnal oregon forensic grounds found, alternatively focusing connected what the mates was doing successful the Bahamas and what happened successful the hours anterior to Lynette falling retired of the dinghy. He was besides questioned connected allegations of unit made by Lynette's daughter.

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In a connection to Fox News Digital, Butler said her lawsuit denies the allegations made by Aylesworth.

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"Mr. Hooker categorically and unequivocally denies immoderate wrongdoing and successful peculiar the allegations precocious made by Karli Aylesworth. He has been cooperating with the applicable authorities arsenic portion of an ongoing investigation," Butler said.

Butler connected Thursday nighttime said that Hooker voluntarily gave a connection to constabulary believing helium was helping them find Lynette.

Brian Hooker hasn't been charged with immoderate crime. Butler told Fox News Digital that constabulary had until 7:20 p.m. connected Friday to either record charges, merchandise his client, oregon petition an hold of detainment. When that deadline passed, Butler said constabulary extended it and Brian would stay successful custody until 7 p.m. Monday.

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

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

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Lynette Hooker went missing aft she fell disconnected a tiny vessel connected Saturday evening. Her husband, Brian Hooker, reported her missing aboriginal Sunday morning. (Brian Hooker and Lynette Hooker/Facebook)

The State Department declined to stock immoderate further details.

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