American woman missing after husband says she fell off boat and was swept out to sea in Bahamas

Police say they're searching for an American woman who disappeared Saturday in the Bahamas. The woman's husband told authorities that his wife went missing after falling from their boat and being swept out to sea.

The man reported that he and his wife, who are both U.S. nationals, left Hope Town for Elbow Cay on the Bahamian island of Abaco at around 7:30 p.m. local time on Saturday, according to the Royal Bahamas Police Force. They had set sail aboard an 8-foot hard-bottom dinghy, police said.

The man told police that his wife fell overboard with the keys to the boat, causing its engine to turn off. He said that strong currents carried her out to sea, and he lost sight of her, according to police. The man paddled the dinghy to shore, arriving hours later at the Marsh Harbor Boat Yard at 4 a.m. Sunday morning. 

Police said the man told someone his wife was missing once he made it to the boat yard, and that person informed authorities. Officers proceeded to search the surrounding area, with help from members of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and Hope Town fire officials. 

The Royal Bahamas Police Force told CBS News that its investigation was "still in the search-and-rescue stage" in a statement Monday.

"U.S. counterparts, volunteers, the Royal Bahamas Police Force and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force are assisting with this," the statement said. The U.S. Coast Guard Miami Sector also provided air support to Bahamian authorities in their search Sunday.

Police have asked people in the community who may have information relevant to the probe to report what they know to law enforcement, or submit anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers.

Neither the missing woman nor her husband have been publicly identified.

The U.S. State Department warned of potentially deadly boating issues in the Bahamas in a travel advisory issued in March 2025, which said "boating is not well regulated" on the islands, and "injuries and deaths have occurred." The advisory also warned that watercraft, like jet skis, may come from unlicensed operators who "sometimes ignore weather forecasts." It encouraged travelers to "always follow local weather and marine alerts."