Coast Guard Seeks Public Help Identifying Sailboat Owners Near Missing Michigan Woman's Vessel

U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service is seeking the public's assistance to identify the owners of a sailboat that may have been moored next to the vessel of Lynette Hooker, a 55-year-old Michigan woman who disappeared in the Bahamas on April 4, 2026.

According to a Coast Guard memo obtained by CBS News, the owners or occupants of that sailing vessel may have information relevant to the ongoing investigation.

CBS News reported that this appeal marks a new development in the case, as federal investigators look beyond earlier accounts of the incident. Lynette Hooker vanished near Aunt Pat's Bay, close to Elbow Cay and Hope Town, during the night of April 4, 2026.

She and her husband, Brian Hooker, were traveling aboard the sailing vessel Soulmate, which had been anchored in Aunt Pat's Bay earlier that day.

A separate sailboat was moored nearby, and investigators are now focusing on potential witnesses who may have been in the vicinity of Soulmate before or around the time Hooker was reported missing. Brian Hooker told authorities that his wife disappeared after falling from an 8-foot dinghy during a nighttime ride in the Abacos.

He stated that Lynette Hooker fell overboard with the boat keys, which caused the engine to shut off.

Left without power, Brian Hooker paddled for hours before reaching shore. Following the incident, Brian Hooker was detained by Bahamian authorities but released without charges. He has denied any wrongdoing.

CBS News reported that federal investigators are actively conducting interviews in connection with the probe, including some scheduled for this week. A month after her disappearance on April 4, 2026, Lynette Hooker remains missing, with no charges filed in the case.

Investigators are asking anyone with information about the pictured sailboat's owner or occupants, or details related to Hooker's disappearance, to submit tips through the CGIS Tips app.

The app is available in the Apple App Store and Google Play, and the Coast Guard stated that tips may be submitted anonymously. Crystal Hauser, Brian Hooker's new attorney, hung up the phone and did not answer any questions when reached for comment by CBS News on Tuesday.

Blaine Stevenson, a friend of Lynette Hooker and Brian Hooker, sent a message to Brian Hooker urging him to be more forthcoming with authorities about the incident.

CBS News reported that federal investigators are expanding their scope beyond the dinghy route described in earlier accounts. The couple's sailboat Soulmate had been anchored in Aunt Pat's Bay earlier on April 4, 2026. S.

Law. They work closely with the Department of Justice. The CGIS mission is to support and protect Coast Guard personnel, operations, integrity and assets worldwide through independent investigations.