Authorities are set to conduct searches both on a sailboat docked in Florida and in a newly designated area of the Sea of Abaco in The Bahamas. These efforts aim to uncover any leads in the baffling disappearance of Lynette Hooker.
Lynette, an American tourist, mysteriously vanished last month during a vacation to The Bahamas with her husband, Brian Hooker.
The couple, who lived on a sailboat named “Soulmate,” frequently embarked on sailing adventures. Their most recent trip to The Bahamas in April ended in distress when Lynette went missing.
Family members revealed that Brian and Lynette Hooker have been married for approximately 25 years, sharing their life and love for the sea.
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Reports indicate that Lynette disappeared while the couple was returning to their sailboat on a dinghy in the Sea of Abaco after spending an evening out.
The investigation has gained momentum as U.S. authorities, guided by phone GPS data, are now focusing their search on Bahamian waters some 25 feet deep, in hopes of finding any trace of Lynette Hooker.
Once authorities seized the boat as it left The Bahamas, the U.S. Coast Guard docked “Soulmate” in Fort Pierce, Florida. Eventually, officials relocated the boat to a port in Fort Lauderdale.
The boat Soulmate is docked at the U.S. Coast Guard station in Fort Pierce, Fla., on May 13, 2026. The vessel, owned by Brian Hooker and his missing wife Lynette Hooker, was reportedly brought back to the U.S. from The Bahamas by the Coast Guard. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)
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A U.S. official familiar with the investigation confirmed to Fox News Digital that, once pulled from the water, “Soulmate” will be taken to a warehouse to be combed for clues.
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“Any sort of digital devices that you can take, any computer systems that you can extract, anything of that sort,” will be taken in,” said Nicole Parker, former FBI special agent and Fox News contributor.
U.S. Coast Guard investigators search the boat Soulmate docked at their station in Fort Pierce, Fla., on May 13, 2026. The vessel belongs to Brian Hooker and his missing wife Lynette Hooker and was brought back to the U.S. from the Bahamas by the Coast Guard. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)
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On Thursday, Fox News Digital confirmed the Bahamian government approved the U.S. to send a dive team to search a new area in the Sea of Abaco.
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The dive team will be tasked with finding Lynette’s body or any new evidence.
The boat Soulmate, owned by Brian and Lynette Hooker, is docked in Marsh Harbour, Bahamas, on April 16, 2025. (Matthew Symons/NY Post)
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“Although it occurred in The Bahamas, you have to get permission from them. But, it doesn’t mean that he [suspect] can’t be charged,” Parker told Fox News Digital.
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Brian Hooker was initially detained, then released from Bahamian custody when Lynette was reported missing.
Brian Hooker leaves Central Police Station in Freeport, The Bahamas, after being released from custody on April 13, 2026. He was questioned about the disappearance of his wife, Lynette Hooker, who he says fell overboard from their dinghy earlier that month. (Matthew Symons for Fox News Digital)
“The reason why we have the vested interest is because the suspect is Brian, and he’s a U.S. citizen. The victim is Lynette. She’s a U.S. citizen. The vessel in which they were on, when the incident occurred, is a U.S. vessel, and it’s flagged in the United States. That gives the United States jurisdiction,” Parker said.
The U.S. Coast Guard asked the public on May 5, 2026, to help identify a sailboat in connection with the disappearance of Lynette Hooker. (Brian Hooker/Facebook; U.S. Coast Guard)
In her experience, she has seen many cases where suspects commit crimes in international waters and try to get away with them — thinking they won’t get caught.
“The important point is that many federal agencies are likely involved on this and that’s what law enforcement is all about, holding people accountable. It’s a team effort and many times people go on these trips and they think, ‘Oh nothing’s going to happen, I’m in a foreign country,’ and they are wrong,” Parker said.
Brian Hooker leaves Central Police Station after being released from custody, Freeport, The Bahamas, Monday, April 13, 2026 (L) and (R) his sailboat “Soulmate” in Florida. (Matthew Symons for Fox News Digital and provided to Fox News Digital)
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Brian Hooker has not been charged with any crime or accused of wrongdoing. His attorney could not be reached for comment after numerous attempts from Fox News Digital.
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