U.S. Coast Guard Seizes Sailboat in Probe of Michigan Woman's Disappearance

The sailboat used by Brian and Lynette Hooker in their travels around the Bahamas, named "Soulmate," has been seized by U.S. Coast Guard investigators, according to two sources with knowledge of the investigation. The boat departed Marsh Harbour in the Bahamas on Friday and was on its way to the U.S. when the Coast Guard took it into custody Saturday.

Drone images obtained by CBS News show the vessel docked at Fort Pierce Coast Guard Station. This development comes as the Coast Guard Investigative Service probe into the disappearance of the Michigan woman has intensified in recent days, according to a source briefed on the investigation.

The couple was sailing in the Bahamas when Brian Hooker reported her missing.

Guard investigators have been actively conducting interviews with potential witnesses. Last week, investigators released images of another sailboat and said they wanted to interview the occupants or owners of that vessel. Lynette Hooker was last seen near Aunt Pat's Bay, near Elbow Cay and Hope Town, on the night of April 4, according to her husband, who reported to local authorities the next day that she fell overboard during their nighttime dinghy ride.

Brian Hooker has denied any wrongdoing and has not been charged with a crime. He was held for questioning by Bahamian authorities but released after five days. After being released from custody, he traveled to the U.S. to see his ailing mother, according to Brian Hooker's Bahamian attorney.

His current whereabouts are not known and his U.S.-based attorney would not comment.