Key takeaways:
- The U.S. Coast Guard seized the sailboat 'Soulmate' used by Brian and Lynette Hooker during their Bahamas travels.
- Lynette Hooker disappeared on April 4 after reportedly falling overboard during a nighttime dinghy ride near Elbow Cay.
- Brian Hooker was arrested and held for five days by Bahamian authorities but released without charges; he has denied wrongdoing.
The U.S. Coast Guard has taken custody of the sailboat named “Soulmate,” used by Brian and Lynette Hooker during their travels in the Bahamas, as part of an ongoing investigation into Lynette Hooker’s disappearance. The vessel departed Marsh Harbour in the Bahamas on Friday and was intercepted by Coast Guard investigators on Saturday while en route to the United States. Drone images obtained by CBS News show the boat docked at the Fort Pierce Coast Guard Station in Florida.
The Coast Guard Investigative Service has intensified its probe in recent days, conducting interviews with potential witnesses. Last week, authorities released images of another sailboat and sought to interview its occupants or owners. The investigation centers on the disappearance of Lynette Hooker, a Michigan mother last seen near Aunt Pat’s Bay, close to Elbow Cay and Hope Town, on the night of April 4.
Brian Hooker, Lynette’s husband, reported to Bahamian authorities the following day that she fell overboard during a nighttime dinghy ride. He told authorities that neither was wearing life jackets and described the incident as Lynette “basically just bounced off the dinghy” amid 20 mph winds. He added that she fell overboard with the key to the engine, forcing him to paddle.
Brian Hooker was arrested by local authorities on April 8 in connection with the disappearance, coinciding with the U.S. Coast Guard opening a criminal investigation. He was held for five days before being released without charges. After his release, he returned to the U.S. to care for his ailing mother. His current whereabouts are unknown, and his U.S.-based attorney declined to comment.
Lynette Hooker’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth, shared a Mother’s Day message on social media expressing the difficulty of the first Mother’s Day without her mother. “It’s pretty hard right now to know that she’s not a text away anymore,” she said.
The Coast Guard has not clarified when exactly it took possession of the Soulmate or whether this action is directly related to the criminal investigation. Requests for comment from the Coast Guard’s Miami office and Brian Hooker’s attorney were not immediately answered. Lynette Hooker remains missing.
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