Coast Guard Seizes Dinghy in Search for Missing Michigan Woman in Bahamas

U.S. Coast Guard investigators seized an eight-foot dinghy as part of the search for Lynette Hooker, 55, of Michigan, who went missing in the Bahamas in early April. CBS News footage showed the dinghy being loaded onto a tender boat and taken to a Coast Guard cutter.

An investigator from the Coast Guard Investigative Service boarded the vessel, examined it, and held up a life jacket while a cadaver dog worked nearby.

Brian Hooker reported his wife missing on April 5. According to his account, the couple had taken a nighttime ride from Elbow Cay in the dinghy when it capsized in rough seas. He told investigators that Lynette Hooker fell overboard, was swept away with the boat keys, and that he paddled back alone.

Bahamian authorities detained Brian Hooker for five days of questioning before releasing him without charges. He has returned to the United States and has not been charged with any crime.

The Coast Guard also seized the sailboat the couple had been using during their travels. GPS data from an electronic device seized by authorities differs from Brian Hooker's description of events that night. The discrepancy prompted the current search operation that includes both sea and land areas in the Bahamas.

No publicly released evidence has documented foul play. Lynette Hooker remains missing.