Lynette Hooker’s husband says he’s ‘heartbroken’ over disappearance at sea after claims he had darker side

The husband of missing American boater Lynette Hooker said he was “heartbroken” over her tragic disappearance at sea hours after his stepdaughter claimed he had a darker side.

Brian Hooker broke his silence in a Facebook post on Wednesday, four days after Lynette fell out of a small boat in the Bahamas while the couple was trying to reach their yacht Saturday night.

“I am heartbroken 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,” he wrote online.

Brian Hooker and his wife Lynette.
Brian Hooker said he was “heartbroken” over Lynette Hooker’s tragic disappearance at sea hours after his stepdaughter claimed he had a darker side. Facebook/Brian Hooker

“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.”

His comments come as Lynette’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth, claimed she believes “something might have happened” to her mom, insisting she was an experienced mariner who likely would not slip into the sea.

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She alleged in a Fox News interview that Brian displayed volatile behavior against his spouse.

“There’s history of him choking her out and threatening to throw her overboard,” Aylesworth claimed. “So the fact that this is actually happening makes me believe there’s more to the story.”

Karli Aylesworth speaking during an interview, calling for a full investigation into her mother's disappearance.
Lynette’s daughter claimed that Brian had a “history of him choking her out and threatening to throw her overboard.” WXYZ

She additionally told CBS News that she wants law enforcement to conduct a thorough investigation because she doesn’t believe Brian’s version of events and noted to NBC News that the pair had a “history of not getting along, especially when they drink.”

Lynette went into the water with the boat key, cutting off the engine, and was then carried away from a strong current and out of her husband’s sight, authorities have said in a press release.

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With the engine off, Brian was forced to paddle back to shore. He returned early the next morning and reported his wife missing.

The search for Lynette, 55, has turned into a recovery mission after a rescue effort failed.

A large sailboat on a hoist in the water next to a pier.
Brian Hooker wrote of “unpredictable seas and high winds that caused my beloved Lynette to fall from our small dinghy.” @thesailinghookers / TikTok

Local authorities told CBS News that Brian has not been accused of wrongdoing.

Hooker also said on Facebook that he was “deeply grateful” to Bahamian authorities and the US Coast Guard for working “tirelessly in an ongoing effort to bring Lynette back to us.”

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“Thank you everyone for keeping Lynette in your thoughts and for your support of our family during this difficult time,” he concluded.

The couple had chronicled their adventures at sea on social media.