Tune in to Fox and Friends Wednesday morning to see more of Griff Jenkins' interview with Lynette Hooker's daughter.
HOPE TOWN, Bahamas —The American woman who went missing in the Bahamas after her husband said she fell off a small boat had been living out her retirement dream of sailing when tragedy struck, according to a friend. Along the way, the couple had been building a social media following and forging connections across the country.
Lynette Hooker, 55 and her husband, Brian Hooker, 58, left Hope Town's Abaco Inn at around 7:30 p.m. Saturday, four minutes after the sunset that night on a small boat headed to their yacht in Elbow Cay, according to Bahamian officials.
Brian Hooker reportedly told officials that while the couple were on the smaller boat, known as a dinghy, Lynette fell into the water with the ignition key, causing the engine to shut off. The current carried her away, according to Brian, who paddled back to a marina at Marsh Harbor. He reported Lynette missing at around 4:00 a.m. on Sunday.
John Waters, who is friends with the couple, told Fox News Digital he met Lynette and at an oyster bar in Panama City Beach, Florida in 2023. He said the couple was on a journey around the Gulf of America.
"Their new lifestyle was this boat that they picked up in Texas. They spent a year working on it," Waters said.
He described the couple as both really nice and said they were going for their retirement dream of sailing. He said the couple "weren’t that experienced" in boating.
Three days into the search for Lynette, authorities have provided few answers.
Richard Cook, team leader with Hope Town Volunteer Fire and Rescue, told the dinghy. It was always Brian. So the story just doesn't add up right now," Aylesworth said.
Geoff Fahringer, former dive team member for the Collier County Sheriff's Office in Florida, told Fox News Digital that he doesn't suspect foul play.
"Sadly, what I've seen in my experience is that this is unfortunately a somewhat common occurrence that seeing the circumstances of this entire accident, it's something I've seen before," Fahringer said.
Authorities haven't said if Lynette Hooker was wearing a life jacket at the time she fell off the small boat.
The couple is very active on social media, largely showcasing their yacht. Their most recent Instagram post on Friday afternoon showed Lynette on a boat with the caption, "Not going anywhere for a while?!"
The Royal Bahamas Police Force is investigating the woman's disappearance along with the Royal Bahamas Defense Force and Hope Town Fire & Rescue.
The U.S. State Department currently says the Bahamas issued a level 2 travel advisory for the Bahamas, is under a level 2 travel advisory and urges Americans to "exercise increased caution" due to crime, beach safety, as well as jet skis and boating dangers.
A spokesperson for the State Department told Fox News Digital the agency is aware of reports regarding the missing American and is working with Bahamian authorities.
Boating in the Bahamas isn't well regulated, and the State Department has said that "injuries and deaths have occurred."