Bahamas police search for US woman who reportedly fell off boat

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 told police that he and his wife left Hope Town for Elbow Cay on the Bahamian island of Abaco on Saturday evening when she fell overboard, taking the boat's keys with her.

In a statement on social media, Royal Bahamas Police Force said it is 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 told CBS News, the BBC's US news partner.

"Strong currents subsequently carried her away, and he lost sight of her," the Royal Bahamas Police Force said.

The husband, also a US national, paddled the vessel to shore and made it to the Marsh Harbour Boat Yard at about 04:00 local time (09:00 BST) on Sunday.

The husband told a person in the boat yard that his wife was missing, and that person then informed the authorities.

"U.S. counterparts, volunteers, the Royal Bahamas Police Force and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force are assisting with this," the Royal Bahamas Police Force told CBS News in a statement.

The missing woman was named by local authorities as Lynette Hooker from Michigan, according to CBS News.

In a March 2025 travel advisory, the US State Department warned of potentially deadly boating issues in the Bahamas.

The advisory said "boating is not well regulated" on the islands, and "injuries and deaths have occurred".