Sailboat seized in missing Bahamas woman case to be searched for clues
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A sailboat docked in Florida and a new stretch of water in the Sea of Abaco in the Bahamas will be investigated for any clues about the mysterious disappearance of Lynette Hooker.
The American woman disappeared in the Bahamas last month while on holiday with her husband Brian Hooker.
The Hookers lived on the sailboat “Soulmate”, which is currently docked, and often vacationed on sailing trips. Their last trip to the Bahamas in April ended in tragedy when Lynette disappeared.
Family members said Brian and Lynette Hooker had been married for about 25 years. (Sailing Whores/Youtube and Instagram)
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The couple reportedly disappeared while returning home on a boat in the Abaco Sea after a night out.
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The U.S. Coast Guard docked the “Soulmate” in Fort Pierce, Florida, when authorities seized the boat as it was leaving the Bahamas. Authorities eventually moved the boat to a port in Fort Lauderdale.
The Soulmate boat docked at the US Coast Guard station in Fort Pierce, Florida, on May 13, 2026. It was reported that the ship belonging to Brian Hooker and his missing wife, Lynette Hooker, was brought back to the USA from the Bahamas by the Coast Guard. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)
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A US official familiar with the investigation confirmed to Fox News Digital that the “Soulmate” would be taken to a warehouse to be scanned for clues after being pulled from the water.
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“Any digital device you can pick up, any computer system you can pull out, anything like that is going to be compromised,” said former FBI special agent and Fox News contributor Nicole Parker.
U.S. Coast Guard investigators search for the boat Soulmate, which docked at their station in Fort Pierce, Fla., on May 13, 2026. The ship belongs to Brian Hooker and his missing wife, Lynette Hooker, and was brought back to the United States from the Bahamas by the Coast Guard. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)
On Thursday, Fox News Digital confirmed that the Bahamian government has approved the United States to send a dive team to search a new site in the Abaco Sea.
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The dive team will be tasked with finding Lynette’s body or new evidence.
The boat Soulmate, owned by Brian and Lynette Hooker, docked at Marsh Harbor in the Bahamas on April 16, 2025. (Matthew Symons/NY Post)
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“Even though the incident took place in the Bahamas, you need to get permission from them. But this [suspect] “There is no charge,” Parker told Fox News Digital.
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Brian Hooker was initially taken into custody, then released from Bahamian custody when Lynette was reported missing.
Brian Hooker leaves the Central Police Station in Freeport, Bahamas, after being released from custody on April 13, 2026. He was questioned about the disappearance of his wife, Lynette Hooker, who he said had fallen overboard from a boat earlier that month. (Matthew Symons for Fox News Digital)
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“The reason we have a vested interest is because the suspect is Brian and he is a U.S. citizen. The victim is Lynette. She is a U.S. citizen. The ship they were on when the incident occurred is a U.S. ship and has a U.S. flag. That gives U.S. jurisdiction,” Parker said.
On May 5, 2026, the U.S. Coast Guard asked the public to help identify a sailboat connected to the disappearance of Lynette Hooker. (Brian Hooker/Facebook; US Coast Guard)
In his experience, he has witnessed many cases where suspects committed crimes in international waters and got away with it, thinking they would not be caught.
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“The point is that a lot of federal agencies are probably involved in this, and that’s what law enforcement is all about, is to hold people accountable. It’s a team effort, and a lot of times people go on these trips and they think, ‘Nothing’s going to happen, I’m in a foreign country,’ and they’re wrong,” Parker said.
Brian Hooker leaves the Central Police Station after being released from custody, Freeport, Bahamas, Monday, April 13, 2026 (L) and (R) his sailboat “Soulmate” in Florida. (Provided to Matthew Symons and Fox News Digital for Fox News Digital)
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Brian Hooker has not been charged with any crime or accused of misconduct. His attorney could not be reached for comment after numerous attempts by Fox News Digital.
