Coast Guard divers begin new search for missing Michigan woman as criminal investigation intensifies

U.S. Coast Guard divers arrived in the Bahamas Tuesday evening to launch a renewed search for Lynette Hooker, the missing Michigan woman whose disappearance has drawn a federal criminal investigation, a U.S. official familiar with the case told CNN.

Lynette Hooker, 55, a seasoned sailor and mother, has not been seen since early April. Her husband, Brian Hooker, initially told authorities she fell from their 8-foot dinghy while the couple was navigating rough waters near the Abaco Islands, according to police reports. The Coast Guard opened a criminal investigation into her disappearance on April 8, three days after she vanished. No suspect has been publicly named, and her body has not been recovered.

But the search effort took a new turn last week after investigators uncovered discrepancies between Brian Hooker’s location data and the statements he gave about where to look for his wife and where they had traveled that evening, a U.S. official told CNN. The Royal Bahamas Police Force has granted permission for the Coast Guard to search an area of the Sea of Abaco near Elbow Cay, the island Brian Hooker claimed they were sailing toward.

It remains unclear when divers will enter the water. Thunderstorms moving through the region from Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday night could delay the operation. The renewed search underscores the deepening scrutiny of Brian Hooker’s narrative as law enforcement works to piece together what happened that night.

The case has drawn widespread attention in part because of Hooker’s extensive sailing background. The couple, both U.S. nationals, had lived aboard their yacht "Soulmate" for more than a decade, documenting their travels across the Caribbean on social media. That public persona has made the mystery surrounding Lynette’s disappearance all the more unsettling for those who followed their journey.

Lynette’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth, has publicly questioned her stepfather’s account, telling CNN she believes her mother is an experienced sailor and capable swimmer unlikely to have been swept away by rough seas. Aylesworth also revealed that the Coast Guard requested DNA samples from Lynette’s relatives — a step that often signals investigators are looking for evidence beyond a simple accidental drowning.

Brian Hooker reported his wife missing on April 5, saying she fell overboard the evening before as they navigated choppy waters back to their yacht. He said the dinghy lost power because Lynette was holding the engine safety key when she went overboard. Aylesworth said her stepfather later left her a voicemail claiming he threw a flotation device after her.

Bahamian police arrested Brian Hooker as a suspect in his wife’s disappearance and questioned him multiple times before releasing him without charge. He has since returned to the United States and continues to deny any wrongdoing. His attorney, Terrel Butler, declined to comment on the new search request last week, citing the ongoing investigation.

The renewed search marks an escalation in what had initially been treated as a missing-person case. The Coast Guard’s decision to request DNA from Lynette’s family suggests investigators are preparing for the possibility that her body may be found — or that the search may shift toward recovering forensic evidence. The case also highlights the jurisdictional complexities of a U.S. citizen vanishing in foreign waters, with both Bahamian and American authorities working in tandem.

For the Hooker family, the wait continues. Aylesworth has urged anyone with information to come forward, while the Coast Guard remains focused on the waters off Elbow Cay. The investigation remains active, and no charges have been filed.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

CNN’s Dianne Gallagher and CNN Meteorologist Taylor Ward contributed to this report.

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