Bahamian authorities have arrested a Michigan man whose wife went missing at sea over the weekend, police in the Caribbean nation told Reuters on Wednesday after search and rescue efforts for the woman were called off.

Brian Hooker’s arrest came after the U.S. Coast Guard launched a criminal investigation into the case following the disappearance of his 55-year-old wife, Lynette, according to a U.S. official.

Hooker was taken into custody around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday “for additional questioning based on some probable cause we have,” said Advardo Dames, the assistant commissioner of the Royal Bahamas Police. “He’s been taken into custody as a suspect. He’s been arrested,” Dames said in a phone interview.

Hooker, 59, has not been charged. His lawyer, Terrel Butler, said he was cooperating with authorities.

“Mr. Hooker categorically and unequivocally denies any wrongdoing,” Butler said.

Bahamian authorities called off rescue efforts on Tuesday and started recovery operations in the area where Lynette Hooker went missing, a Royal Bahamas Defence Force spokesperson told Reuters.

“The RBDF, along with the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF), conducted extensive search efforts between Elbow Cay and mainland Abaco,” said the spokesperson for the Bahamian naval military forces.

“The United States Coast Guard also assisted by providing aerial surveillance. Despite these efforts, there were no confirmed sightings.”

The spokesperson said only a flotation device was discovered along the shoreline during its search.

Lynette Hooker went missing while traveling at sea with her husband in the Abaco Islands on April 4, police said. Brian Hooker said they left Hope Town, Abaco, around 7:30 p.m. EDT (2300 GMT) on an 8-foot (2.4m) hard-bottom dinghy en route to Elbow Cay, according to police.

According to the police report, Brian Hooker said his wife fell overboard with the boat’s keys, causing the vessel’s engine to shut off before strong currents carried her away.

Hooker paddled to shore after losing sight of his wife, according to the police report. After arriving on shore, he informed an individual of the incident and the police were alerted, the Royal Bahamas Police Force said.

Before being taken into custody, Brian Hooker posted on Facebook that he was “heartbroken over the recent boat accident.”

“Despite desperate attempts to reach her, the winds and currents drove us further apart,” he posted on Wednesday. “We continue to search for her and that is my sole focus.”

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(Reporting by Jasper Ward in Washington; Editing by Colleen Jenkins, Lincoln Feast and Chizu Nomiyama )