The daughter of missing American woman Lynette Hooker didn’t hear about her mom disappearing at sea until around 24 hours later when her stepdad called her, according to a report.
Brian Hooker, 58, delivered the shocking news to Lynette’s adult child Karli Aylesworth in a phone call Sunday as mystery surrounds the tragic case that began when the 55-year-old Michigan native went overboard on a dinghy ride Saturday evening.
“So more than 24 hours later,” a source close to the family claimed to the Daily Mail about when Brian called Aylesworth.
“We don’t know why. We don’t know if he was busy looking. We just don’t know.”
The incident happened after 7:30 p.m. on Saturday while the couple was taking the dinghy to their yacht at Elbow Cay, but Brian did not get back to shore until Sunday around 4 a.m. because Lynette went overboard with the boat key that cut off the engine.
Strong currents dragged her away and Brian lost sight of her, according to authorities. The husband told law enforcement he was forced to paddle the boat back to shore with no way to rev up the engine.
When Brian finally alerted Aylesworth, she claimed to NBC News his voice was “monotone and relaxed.”
“I was in shock,” she said. “I was like, my mom’s missing? Like, what?”
He also left a voicemail for Aylesworth to let her know searchers found the flotation device he threw to Lynette when she went in the water, CBS News reported.
While Brian has not been accused of wrongdoing, Aylesworth finds her mom’s disappearance suspicious and claimed to “Fox and Friends” on Wednesday her stepfather has a “bunch of anger he hasn’t processed.”
She told NBC News Lynette and Brian’s relationship includes a “history of not getting along, especially when they drink.”
The effort to find Lynette has morphed from a rescue search to a recovery operation.
Attempts to reach Brian have not been successful. He also has not replied to other outlets’ requests.
Brian, in a statement on his Facebook page, said he was “heartbroken” over his wife’s disappearance.
