Elbow Cay Search Intensifies After American Woman Goes Missing Off Bahamas
An American woman is missing after she fell overboard during an evening trip from Hope Town to elbow cay on Saturday night, the Royal Bahamas Police Force said. The incident unfolded around 7: 30 p. m. ET as she and her husband traveled in a small 8-foot hard-bottom vessel off the Bahamas. Police say strong currents swept her out to sea, and the search has continued into Sunday morning ET.
What happened on the water near Elbow Cay
Police said the woman was traveling with her husband when she fell into the water during the short crossing toward elbow cay. The husband told authorities she had the vessel’s keys with her when she went overboard, which caused the engine to shut off. He then paddled the boat for hours before reaching shore early Sunday.
The husband lost sight of her, police said, as rough water and current moved quickly through the area. He later reached Marsh Harbour Boat Yard at about 4 a. m. ET Sunday and told someone what happened. That person then alerted police.
Search effort underway on Abaco
Police on the island of Abaco have launched an investigation, and the Royal Bahamas Defense Force and Hope Town Fire & Rescue are searching the area. The woman has not been identified. Officials have not said whether any additional boats or aircraft are involved in the effort.
The case has drawn urgency because the disappearance happened during a routine evening crossing in local waters, with the woman swept away after falling overboard. The search around elbow cay remains the central focus as rescuers work the waterline and nearby shoreline.
Immediate response from officials
, the Royal Bahamas Police Force said, “He lost sight of her. ” Police also said, “He then paddled the vessel to shore. ” Those details remain the clearest public account of the moments after the fall.
The U. S. Embassy in Nassau and the FBI did not immediately respond to requests for comment Sunday night ET. No additional statements from the family have been made public.
Context around the trip
The couple had set off from Hope Town on Saturday evening ET for the short trip to elbow cay. Police described the voyage as occurring on an 8-foot hard-bottom vessel, and the water conditions quickly became a factor once the woman went overboard.
The Bahamas is under a U. S. State Department Level 2 travel advisory, which urges Americans to use increased caution, including when using watercraft. Officials have warned that boating is not well regulated and that injuries and deaths have occurred.
What happens next
Authorities are continuing to search the waters near Abaco as the investigation moves forward. For now, the woman remains missing, and police have not released any new information on her condition. The case continues to turn on the same unanswered question: what happened in the water between Hope Town and elbow cay.
