Bahamas police release Michigan man after his wife vanishes at sea
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A Michigan married couple were travelling on a dinghy from Hope Town, Abaco, to Elbow Cay on April 4 when the wife went missing, the police in The Bahamas said in an initial report.
PHOTO: REUTERS
WASHINGTON – A 59-year-old Michigan man was released by the police following the disappearance of his wife while sailing in The Bahamas, Bahamian Police Commissioner Shanta Knowles told Reuters on April 13.
Mr Brian Hooker’s release follows his arrest by the Bahamian police on April 8. He was initially questioned as a witness in the disappearance case.
His lawyer Terrel Butler has denied any wrongdoing on his part. Ms Butler said Mr Hooker was transferred from Abaco, where he was questioned by the police, to Grand Bahama, the archipelago’s second most populous island.
Mr Hooker’s wife, Mrs Lynette Hooker, 55, went missing while the Michigan couple were travelling from Hope Town, Abaco, to Elbow Cay on April 4, the police said in an initial report on the incident.
The pair were sailing on a 2.4m hard-bottom dinghy, called Soulmate, when Mrs Hooker fell overboard with the boat’s keys, according to the police. They said Mr Hooker paddled to shore after losing sight of his wife.
After arriving on shore, according to the report, he informed an individual of the incident and the police were alerted.
In the days that followed, the police took Mr Hooker by boat to search the Soulmate, his lawyer said, adding he remained handcuffed “despite the choppy and dangerous sea conditions”.
Mr Hooker was injured during the search after he “lost his footing and fell overboard”, Ms Butler said. She said Mr Hooker sustained an injury to his knee and an abrasion.
He was taken to a Grand Bahama hospital where he received treatment, Ms Butler said. REUTERS
