Missing American’s husband had 'spotty' cell service during 8-hour trek to report disappearance: telecom boss
FREEPORT, Bahamas — Brian Hooker spent about 8 hours paddling his way across a 4.5-mile channel in the Bahamas after his wife reportedly fell off their 8-foot dinghy before anyone notified police.
Bahamian officials said Lynette Hooker, 55, and Brian Hooker, 58, departed from Hope Town's Abaco Inn at around 7:30 p.m. on April 4 and went on a smaller boat, referred to as a dinghy, to travel to their yacht. Brian Hooker reportedly told officials that Lynette fell into the water with the ignition key, which caused the engine to cut off. Brian told authorities that the current carried Lynette away, and he paddled the dinghy toward a marina at Marsh Harbour. The couple was originally headed to their yacht in Elbow Cay.
Local authorities said that Brian Hooker arrived at a marina at Marsh Harbour at around 4 a.m. on April 5, roughly 8 hours after Lynette Hooker went overboard.
A staff member at the Marsh Harbour marina told Fox News Digital that the husband walked along the south shoreline before arriving at the dock area, which may have required covering a significant distance on foot. Once at the marina, he went to an office and reported that his wife was missing, prompting staff to call police.
What remains unclear is whether Brian Hooker had access to his phone, or cell service, during those 8 hours on the water. His attorney didn't respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.
Lynette's daughter, Karli Aylesworth, told Fox News Digital that the couple usually carried phones on them while boating.
Dimitry Malinsky, founder and CEO of IntraTEM, a telecommunications company, told Fox News Digital individuals can likely receive cellphone reception, even if it's spotty, over the 4.5-mile channel Brian Hooker paddled his dinghy through.
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He said, however, some of the more remote Bahamian keys don't get cell service.
"If it's a remote key, like some of those remote keys in the Bahamas, it would be just as if you're in the ocean and not by land because if there are no cell towers," Malinsky said.
Criminal defense attorney Donna Rotunno told Fox News Digital it would be difficult to prove if Brian Hooker's phone had service, if investigators determine he had access to it.
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"They may be able to show whether or not he was trying to conduct an outgoing call and he couldn't. But then again, if you're on some paddle boat trying to, you know, my guess is if he jumped in the water or if he tried to help her in any way, the phone was either left on the boat or the phone is in his pocket and then useless because of the water," Rotunno said. "Is that evidence? Yes. How compelling it is. We don't have that answer yet."
Brian Hooker’s lawyer, Terrel Butler, told Fox News Digital she doesn’t know whether her client had a cellphone on him the night his wife vanished.
Whether or not Brian Hooker had cell service, one local told Fox News Digital that the journey to Marsh Harbour presented a formidable physical challenge.
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A man who knew Brian and Lynette Hooker told Fox News Digital that paddling 4.5 miles from near Hope Town to Marsh Harbour without a working engine was a "Herculean" task, which is what officials say Brian Hooker did.
"To row four miles, the oars suck on the dinghies and they're very difficult to go anywhere. To row four is a Herculean task in these dinghies — we upgraded our oars because we couldn't go anywhere with the stock oars and it's really a Herculean task and it says a lot that he was able to even physically row that distance in the conditions," he said.
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Butler said on Friday that police were questioning Brian Hooker on a potential charge of causing harm resulting in death. The interview went from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Butler said.
Police, however, didn't question him about any physical or forensic evidence found, rather focusing on what the couple was doing in the Bahamas and what happened in the hours prior to Lynette falling out of the dinghy. He was also questioned on allegations of violence made by Lynette's daughter.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Butler said her client denies the allegations made by Aylesworth.
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"Mr. Hooker categorically and unequivocally denies any wrongdoing and in particular the allegations recently made by Karli Aylesworth. He has been cooperating with the relevant authorities as part of an ongoing investigation," Butler said.
Butler on Thursday night said that Hooker voluntarily gave a statement to police believing he was helping them find Lynette.
Brian Hooker hasn't been charged with any crime. Butler told Fox News Digital that police had until 7:20 p.m. on Friday to either file charges, release his client, or request an extension of detainment. When that deadline passed, Butler said police extended it and Brian would remain in custody until 7 p.m. Monday.
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The U.S. State Department has issued a level 2 travel advisory for the Bahamas. Americans are urged to "exercise increased caution" due to crime, beach safety, as well as jet ski and boating dangers.
A spokesperson for the State Department previously told Fox News Digital the agency is aware of reports regarding the missing American and is working with Bahamian authorities.
The State Department declined to share any additional details.
Boating in the Bahamas isn't well regulated, and the State Department has said that "injuries and deaths have occurred."