Coast Guard takes custody of dinghy amid new search for Lynette Hooker in Bahamas

Two months after Lynette Hooker disappeared when she went overboard on April 4, the U.S. Coast Guard has taken custody of the Hookers’ dinghy and expanded the search in the Bahamas. Divers, underwater drones and a K-9 unit are deployed to areas not previously investigated, as investigators pursue new information. This renewed operation follows forensic analyses of electronic devices belonging to Lynette Hooker’s husband, Brian Hooker, which investigators say point to locations not previously examined. Officials have cautioned that the investigation remains active, with no confirmed findings to date and weather conditions potentially affecting search progress.

Brian Hooker was arrested on April 8 and released four days later without charges, according to authorities. Lynette Hooker’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth, told ABC News she doubts her stepfather’s account and has not spoken with him since the day after her mother disappeared. Still, she expressed hope that the fresh search could bring clarity and locate her mother. The family says they want any information that could lead to Lynette Hooker’s whereabouts, as authorities pursue every lead while the case remains open and ongoing investigative efforts.