Police in the Bahamas are searching for an American woman who disappeared after reportedly falling overboard from a small boat while vacationing with her husband.
Her husband told authorities that she went missing on Saturday at about 19:30 local time (00:30 BST) after falling out of an 8ft (2.4m) hard-bottom dinghy and being swept out to sea by strong currents.
The woman's husband stated that they left Hope Town for Elbow Cay on the Bahamian island of Abaco when she fell overboard, taking the boat's keys with her.
In a statement on social media, the Royal Bahamas Police Force mentioned that they are investigating and multiple agencies are searching for the woman.
She apparently bounced out of the boat, Hope Town Volunteer Fire and Rescue chief Troy Pritchard shared with CBS News.
Strong currents subsequently carried her away, and he lost sight of her, the Royal Bahamas Police Force reported.
The husband, also a US national, paddled the vessel to shore, reaching the Marsh Harbour Boat Yard at about 04:00 local time (09:00 BST) on Sunday.
He informed a person at the boat yard about his wife’s disappearance; that person then alerted the authorities.
Support for the search effort comes from U.S. counterparts, volunteers, the Royal Bahamas Police Force, and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force.
The missing woman has been identified as Lynette Hooker from Michigan, according to CBS News.
In a March 2025 travel advisory, the U.S. State Department warned of potentially life-threatening boating concerns in the Bahamas, indicating that boating is not well regulated and that injuries and deaths have occurred in these waters.
