In Lynette Hooker probe, Coast Guard seeks information about mystery sailboat

Washington — Federal investigators are now seeking the public’s help in identifying the owners of a sailboat that may have been moored next to Lynette Hooker’s vessel the night she disappeared in the Bahamas, marking a new development in the search for the missing Michigan woman. 

The U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, the criminal investigative arm of the service branch, is searching for additional information about Hooker’s disappearance near Aunt Pat’s Bay, near Elbow Cay and Hope Town, on the night of April 4, 2026.

According to sources close to the investigation, CGIS has launched a search to locate the owner of a sailboat that was moored near the sailing vessel Soulmate in Aunt Pat’s Bay that day in early April. Lynette Hooker and her husband, Brian Hooker, had been traveling aboard Soulmate before she vanished. 

“The owners/occupants of the sailing vessel may have information relevant to the CGIS investigation,” a Coast Guard memo obtained by CBS News states.

Federal investigators have been looking beyond the dinghy route described in earlier accounts and are now seeking potential witnesses who may have been near Soulmate before or around the time Lynette was reported missing.

CBS News has also learned that Coast Guard investigators are actively conducting interviews in connection with their probe — including some scheduled for this week.

Hooker, 55, disappeared after what her husband has described as a drop from an 8-foot dinghy during a nighttime ride in the Abacos. Brian Hooker told authorities Lynette fell overboard with the boat keys, causing the engine to shut off and leaving him to paddle for hours before reaching shore. He was later detained by Bahamian authorities and released without charges. Hooker has denied any wrongdoing.

The new Coast Guard investigative appeal centers on Aunt Pat’s Bay, where the couple’s sailboat had been anchored earlier in the day, on April 4. Investigators are now asking anyone who knows the identity of the pictured sailboat’s owner or occupants — or anyone with information about Lynette Hooker’s disappearance — to submit tips through the CGIS Tips app, available in the Apple App Store and Google Play. According to the Coast Guard, tips may be submitted anonymously.

CGIS agents are sworn federal law enforcement officers who investigate violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice and U.S. law, working closely with the Department of Justice. The service’s stated mission is to support and protect Coast Guard personnel, operations, integrity and assets worldwide through independent investigations.

A month after her disappearance, Lynette Hooker remains missing, with no charges filed in connection to her disappearance.

When reached for comment Tuesday by CBS News on the latest developments in the case, Brian Hooker’s new attorney, Crystal Hauser, hung up the phone and did not answer any questions. 

Blaine Stevenson, a friend of the couple, told CBS News on Tuesday that he sent a message to Brian Hooker urging him to be more forthcoming with authorities about the incident.

“They [Lynette Hooker’s family] trusted you with their loved one, and you didn’t live up to it,” Stevenson told CBS News, referring to his message. “So, now’s the time for you to live up to that, and take care of them, and give them the answers they’re looking for.”