A search for a missing American woman is underway in the Bahamas, where her husband reported she fell off a small boat and was swept away by “strong currents,” police said.
The man, who is also from the United States, said that his wife disappeared after they took an 8-foot, “hard-bottom” dinghy from Hope Town to Elbow Cay in the Abaco Islands the evening of Saturday, April 4, according to the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
“During the journey, his wife reportedly fell overboard with the boat keys, causing the vessel’s engine to shut off,” police said in a news release shared on Sunday, April 5.
The man told police that currents swept his wife away until he could no longer see her, according to authorities.
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At that point, he reported that he started paddling the dinghy to shore and eventually made it to the Marsh Harbour Boat Yard, located on Great Abaco Island, around 4 a.m. on April 5, police said. That is when he was said to have reported his wife as missing.
Abaco police officers, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and Hope Town Fire & Rescue are searching for the missing woman, according to police.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force did not release the names of the woman or her husband.
The agency is asking the public to come forward with any information relevant to the investigation into the American woman’s April 4 disappearance.
“Police are appealing to members of the public who may have information that may assist with this investigation. If you have relevant details, please contact 911, 919, your nearest police station, or the Criminal Investigation Department. Anonymous tips are also welcomed through Crime Stoppers at 328-TIPS (8477),” authorities said in the news release.
Nearly two years ago, another American woman, Taylor Casey, went missing while attending a yoga retreat in the Bahamas, CBS News reported.
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Casey, 42, of Chicago, disappeared on June 19, 2024, and remains missing, according to a CBS news report published one year after her disappearance.
Her phone was found about 56 feet underwater a few days after she vanished, on June 22, 2024, according to local law enforcement, the outlet reported.
The U.S. State Department advises using caution when traveling to the Bahamas because of incidents of local crime.
The agency has issued a level 2 travel advisory for the country.
The State Department has four travel advisory levels, including level 1, “exercise normal precautions,” level 2, “exercise increased caution,” level 3, “reconsider travel,” and level 4, “do not travel.”
