The U.S. Coast Guard has seized an 8-foot dinghy as part of their investigation into the disappearance of Lynette Hooker in the Bahamas. Lynette, from Michigan, went missing in early April, and the dinghy was reportedly the vessel she was aboard with her husband, Brian Hooker, when she vanished.
CBS News documented the removal of the dinghy, which was transported by tender boat to a Coast Guard cutter. Investigators, including a member of the Coast Guard Investigative Service, were seen inspecting the dinghy, holding a life jacket, and accompanied by a cadaver dog. The inspection aims to gather clues about the night Lynette Hooker, aged 55, went missing.
Brian Hooker reported his wife missing on April 5, explaining to authorities that Lynette ‘bounced off’ the dinghy due to rough waters during a nighttime excursion from Elbow Cay in the Bahamas. He claimed she fell overboard, was carried away by the current with the boat keys, forcing him to paddle back to shore.
Initially detained by Bahamian authorities, Brian Hooker was released after five days of questioning and has since returned to the U.S. He denies involvement in the disappearance and has not been charged with any crime. Despite extensive searches, Lynette Hooker remains missing.
Authorities are scrutinizing GPS data from an electronic device that suggests discrepancies with Brian Hooker’s version of events. This discrepancy has prompted the renewed investigation effort in the Bahamas.
In addition to the dinghy, the couple’s sailboat used during their travels in the Bahamas was seized by the Coast Guard last month.