Coast Guard looks to send divers to new Bahamas waters in search for Lynette Hooker, official says

By Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN

(CNN) — The US Coast Guard has asked Bahamian officials for permission to send divers to new locations in its search for Lynette Hooker after investigators found inconsistencies between her husband’s location data and his statements to investigators about where to search for his wife, a US official familiar with the investigation told CNN.

Lynette Hooker, a 55-year-old American mother and sailor, went missing in early April. Her husband of 25 years, Brian Hooker, told authorities she fell from an 8‑foot dinghy in the rough waters near the Bahamas’ Abaco Islands as the couple was traveling back to their yacht, according to police.

But location data recovered from Brian Hooker’s electronic devices contradicts his early statements to investigators advising them where to look for his wife, the official said.

The Coast Guard has been conducting a criminal investigation into Lynette Hooker’s disappearance. The agency declined to comment Wednesday on the ongoing investigation.

Brian Hooker has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in connection with his wife’s disappearance. He was arrested and questioned repeatedly by Bahamian police a few days after reporting his wife missing April 5, and he was released without being charged.

CNN has sought comment from Brian Hooker’s attorney and sought more information from Bahamian police.

The Michigan couple, both US nationals, had been sailing together for more than a decade, documenting their life at sea on social media. They were navigating the Bahamas on their yacht, Soulmate, when the incident happened.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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