U.S. Coast Guard officials have reportedly seized a Michigan man’s boat after he said his wife disappeared after falling overboard while within the Bahamas in April.
An official from the coast guard’s station in Fort Pierce, Fla., told NBC News, ABC News and CBS News that the sailboat utilized by Brian and Lynette Hooker — named “Soulmate” — had departed Marsh Harbour within the Bahamas on Friday and it was on its option to the U.S. when the coast guard took it into custody.
Global News reached out to the U.S. Coast Guard’s military branch’s Miami office, which said, “The Coast Guard cannot comment on an ongoing investigation.”
The event comes per week after the Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) in Miami asked the general public for information in regards to the disappearance of Lynette Hooker and to assist discover the owners of a sailboat which will have been near the Hookers’ vessel the night she disappeared.
“CGIS is in search of the owner of the sailboat below moored near the SV Soulmate. Ppl w/ info are urged to submit suggestions through CG suggestions app,” the U.S. Coast Guard Southeast wrote in a post on X.
Hooker previously told authorities within the Bahamas that his wife, Lynette Hooker, 55, fell overboard the night of April 4 as they were travelling in a 2.4-metre motorboat from Hope Town to Elbow Cay, a bunch of small islands on the eastern end of the Bahamas.
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He said Lynette had the boat’s keys on her person when she went overboard, causing the boat’s engine to shut off and forcing him to paddle ashore.
“Strong currents subsequently carried her away, and he overpassed her,” police said in a press release.
After reaching shore, Hooker alerted someone about his wife’s disappearance early the next day, in accordance with authorities.
Hooker has denied any wrongdoing in relation to his wife’s disappearance, in accordance with his lawyer, Terrel Butler.
Police within the Bahamas released Hooker on April 13 after he had been in police custody since April 8, being questioned by authorities.
“Police want to advise the general public that the 58-year-old male of U.S. nationality who was taken into custody shortly after 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, eighth April 2026, in Marsh Harbour, Abaco, has been released from police custody,” the Royal Bahamas Police Force said in a news release.
Police said the choice to release Hooker was “made following consultation with the Department of Public Prosecutions, which advisable that no charges be filed right now pending the final result of further investigations.”
“Police are appealing to members of the general public who could have information which will assist with this investigation,” police added within the news release. “If you could have relevant details, please contact 911, 919, your nearest police station, or the Criminal Investigation Department. Anonymous suggestions are also welcomed through CRIME STOPPERS at 328-TIPS (8477).”
Hooker’s lawyer, Butler, told reporters shortly before his release that “that they had no evidence they usually had no selection but to release him. It’s unlucky that they had to exhaust your complete investigative period to come back to the conclusion.”
Hooker issued a press release on April 8, saying his wife’s disappearance left him “heartbroken.”
“I’m 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 within the Bahamas,” Hooker wrote on Facebook before his arrest. “Despite desperate attempts to achieve her, the winds and currents drove us further apart. We proceed to go looking for her and that’s my sole focus.
“Our family is deeply grateful for the Bahamian people’s assistance, especially that of the Hopetown Volunteer Fire & Rescue team, Royal Bahamas police force, Royal Bahamas Defense Force, and the US Coast Guard, who’ve worked tirelessly in an ongoing effort to bring Lynette back to us.
“Thanks to everyone for keeping Lynette in your thoughts and on your support of our family during this difficult time.”
The U.S. Coast Guard has opened an investigation separate from the one being conducted by the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
A U.S. State Department Level 2 travel advisory states that Americans should travel with caution within the Bahamas, including in tourist centres, where thefts and robberies do occur, and warns against moving between islands by boat.
“Watercraft will not be protected, and some operators should not licensed or insured,” the advisory says. “Watercraft operators sometimes ignore weather forecasts. At all times follow local weather and marine alerts.”
The advisory also warns that boating just isn’t well-regulated within the Bahamas and that injuries and deaths have occurred.
It further cautions against “swimming-related risks,” in addition to sexual assaults and armed robberies.
— with files from Global News’ Rachel Goodman and The Associated Press
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