American woman missing after husband reports she fell overboard during Bahamas trip

An American woman was swept out to sea after she fell overboard during an evening dinghy trip with her husband off the Bahamas, police said.

Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.

The woman, who was not identified, fell into the water as she and her husband were traveling from Hope Town to Elbow Cay on Saturday night, the Royal Bahamas Police Force said in a statement Sunday.

The woman's husband told police that she had vessel’s keys with her when she fell into the water, causing its engine to shut off. He had to paddle the 8-foot, hard-bottom boat for hours before he reached shore early Sunday, he said.

“He lost sight of her,” police said in the statement. “He then paddled the vessel to shore.”

The excursion began about 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Hope Town, with the couple setting off for Elbow Cay, police said. At some point, the woman fell overboard and was swept by a strong current, according to police.

Her husband was able to paddle to Marsh Harbour Boat Yard, where he arrived about 4 a.m. Sunday and told someone what happened, they said. That person then alerted police.

Police on the island of Abaco have launched an investigation, they said, and the Royal Bahamas Defense Force and Hope Town Fire & Rescue are searching the area.

The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday night. The State Department is working with Bahamian authorities to provide assistance, a department spokesperson said in a statement, adding it would have no further comment for now because of "privacy and other considerations."

The Bahamas is under a U.S. State Department Level 2 travel advisory, which states that Americans should be wary in tourist centers, where theft and robbery are not uncommon, and think carefully about using watercraft there.

"Boating is not well regulated," the advisory says. "Injuries and deaths have occurred."