A seasoned boater and friend of Brian and Lynette Hooker said Brian’s account of his wife’s disappearance doesn’t add up.
Daniel Danforth told “Fox & Friends Weekend” that he and his wife became friends with the Hookers in 2023, bonding over their shared love of boating. After hearing news reports about Lynette’s disappearance in the Bahamas, Danforth reached out to Brian on Facebook and received a response he found concerning.
“I said, ‘Hey, did I just see you on the news?’ And then he gave me the account that’s in the text messages. And it didn’t line up a lot,” Danforth said Saturday.
Lynette Hooker vanished during a boating trip earlier this month, according to authorities. Her husband said she fell overboard with their dinghy’s ignition key, and they were separated by turbulent waters as she swam back to their boat.
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“If you’re an actual boater, and people that boat every day know that the story don’t really add up,” Danforth said.
Brian told authorities the current carried his wife away while he paddled their dinghy back to a marina hours later, saying the engine had cut off. Hooker’s lawyer says he denies any wrongdoing, and he is currently being held by Bahamian authorities.
Danforth said he initially believed Lynette’s disappearance wasn’t dire based on his correspondence with Brian. Danforth said the messages weren’t “serious” or “dramatic,” and they continued talking about topics like sailboats.
“Then when it came out that he was arrested, I was completely shocked,” Danforth said.
He said he heard the couple had problems and had separated in the past but tried to stay out of their fights. Hooker’s lawyer, Terrel A. Butler, said there was a domestic violence incident in 2015 and that Lynette was arrested.
Danforth confirmed the Hookers were “very experienced boaters” who knew what they were doing on the water. He questioned why Hooker didn’t return to their sailboat to check if his wife had swum there.
Danforth said boaters typically travel in small groups and anchor in protected coves, which the Hookers did not do in this case.
“You always take proper planning procedures ahead of time, and you sure don’t go out in a small dinghy in rough waters. That’s usually just for going to land or back to your sailboat,” he added.
Hooker has not been charged with any crime related to his wife’s disappearance.
