Share and Follow
The investigation led by the U.S. Coast Guard into the mysterious disappearance of Brian Hooker’s wife has taken a significant turn with the seizure of their sailboat, a federal source disclosed.
According to Brian Hooker, he reported to Bahamian authorities that his wife, Lynette, accidentally fell from a dinghy, taking the ignition key with her, shortly after leaving Hope Town around 7:30 p.m. on April 4. Authorities noted that he reached a marina in Marsh Harbour by paddling ashore approximately eight hours later, at about 4 a.m. on April 5.
The sailboat, named “Soulmate,” was intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard, as confirmed by an insider familiar with the investigation. Reports from CBS News revealed that the vessel was making its way towards the U.S. when it was detained by authorities on Saturday.
The Coast Guard Investigative Service has ramped up its inquiry into Lynette Hooker’s vanishing in recent days, although Brian Hooker remains uncharged.
On April 14, 2026, Brian Hooker was seen departing a hotel in Freeport, The Bahamas, accompanied by his attorney, Terell A. Butler. This followed his release from police custody after being questioned regarding his wife Lynette’s disappearance. (Photo by Matthew Symons for Fox News Digital)
The Coast Guard declined to comment when reached by Fox News Digital, citing the active investigation.
The development comes about a week after the Coast Guard sought the public’s help in finding the owner of a sailboat that was moored near Brian and Lynette Hooker’s “Soulmate” in the Bahamas.
Brian Hooker was detained for five days by Bahamian police after his wife disappeared, but wasn’t charged. His Michigan-based attorney previously asked Americans to give him the benefit of the doubt.
“I would ask those watching to treat him the way you would want to be treated, to give him the benefit of the doubt, and to consider that not all of us, nor you, considering your own relationships, the way you speak to one another, we all handle things in different ways,” Crystal Marie Hauser said.
The sailboat Soulmate, owned by Brian and Lynette Hooker, floats in calm water in Marsh Harbour, Bahamas, on April 16, 2025. (Matthew Symons/NY Post)
While Hauser said she imagines Brian Hooker’s “heart” is in the Bahamas, she didn’t reveal if he has plans to return.
Brian Hooker left the island for the U.S. to tend to his “very ill” mother, his Bahamian attorney previously said.
Lynette Hooker and Brian Hooker are seen in a picture taken in 2023 on a small boat. (John Waters)
After Lynette Hooker went missing, Brian said in a Facebook post that he was “heartbroken.”
“I am heartbroken over the recent boat accident in unpredictable seas and high winds that caused my beloved Lynette to fall from our small dinghy near Elbow Cay in the Bahamas,” he wrote. “Despite desperate attempts to reach her, the winds and currents drove us further apart. We continue to search for her and that is my sole focus.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Brian’s attorneys.