(NEW YORK) — The husband of a woman who was reported missing in the Bahamas after going overboard on a dinghy has been arrested, according to the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
Lynette Hooker, 55, of Michigan, and her husband, Brian Hooker, 58, had departed Hope Town on the Abaco Islands for Elbow Cay around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, according to the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
The couple was en route to their yacht, “Soulmate,” when bad weather caused Lynette Hooker to fall overboard, her husband told authorities.
Brian Hooker was arrested Wednesday evening and was being questioned in connection with his wife’s disappearance, police said. No further details were released.
According to his attorney, Brian Hooker has been “cooperating with the relevant authorities as part of an ongoing investigation.”
The husband “categorically denies the allegations made against him,” the attorney, Terrel Butler, said in a statement on Thursday.
“Mr. Hooker cannot provide further comments to the media or the public at this time while the investigations are ongoing,” Butler added. “It is crucial to mention the importance of maintaining the integrity of the legal process.”
The arrest comes after multiple sources told ABC News a criminal investigation had been opened into whether there was any wrongdoing in the case.
The U.S. Coast Guard will be leading the probe, according to a source familiar with the investigation.
The search is ongoing for Lynette Hooker, according to police.
Her husband told police the strong currents on Saturday took her out to sea, authorities said. She was holding the boat key when she went overboard, causing the 8-foot hard-bottom dinghy’s engine to shut off, police noted.
Her husband spoke out for the first time on Wednesday, saying he is “heartbroken over the recent boat accident.”
In a statement posted to social media, Brian Hooker said “unpredictable seas and high winds” caused his “beloved Lynette to fall from our small dinghy” near Elbow Cay.
“Despite desperate attempts to reach her, the winds and currents drove us further apart. We continue to search for her and that is my sole focus,” he said.
Brian Hooker subsequently paddled the boat back to shore, arriving at around 4 a.m. Sunday to a marina, where he reported his wife overboard to an individual who then alerted police, authorities said.
The search and rescue operation has been conducted by land, sea and air and involved multiple agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard, the Royal Bahamas Police Force said.
Brian Hooker thanked the agencies “who have worked tirelessly in an ongoing effort to bring Lynette back to us.”
“Thank you to everyone for keeping Lynette in your thoughts and for your support of our family during this difficult time,” he said.
The investigation and search efforts are ongoing, police said Tuesday.
Lynette Hooker’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth, has called for a “full and complete investigation” into her mother’s disappearance.
She told ABC News her mother is fit and a good swimmer, and described what her stepfather told her about his wife’s disappearance.
“He said that my mom’s missing and that she fell out of the boat and that he threw a life jacket to her or something, and he doesn’t know if she got it or not,” she said.
“I just hope we find her,” she added.
The Hookers are avid sailors, documenting their travels on social media under the name “The Sailing Hookers.”
The U.S. State Department is “aware of reports regarding a missing American near Elbow Cay” and is “working with Bahamian authorities to provide assistance,” a spokesperson for the agency said Monday.
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