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 on Saturday, police said.

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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.

Police said the woman’s husband reported that she had the 8-foot, hard-bottom vessel’s keys with her when she fell into the water, causing its engine to shut off, and he had to paddle for hours before he reached shore early Sunday morning.

“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, the royal police force said, and the Royal Bahamas Defense Force and Hope Town Fire & Rescue are searching the area.

The U.S. Embassy in Nassau and the FBI did not immediately respond to requests for comment Sunday night.

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 states. “Injuries and deaths have occurred.”