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American woman Lynette Hooker missing in Bahamas: A timeline

1:58
Search for Lynette Hooker enters week 3
the_sailing_hookers/Instagram
ByEmily Shapiro
June 08, 2026, 9:59 PM

It's been two months since American Lynette Hooker went overboard and disappeared in the Bahamas, prompting a massive search and leaving her daughter desperate for answers.

Here's a timeline of the high-profile case:

April 4

Around 7:30 p.m., Lynette Hooker and her husband, Brian Hooker departed Hope Town in their dinghy, heading to the yacht they lived on, the Soulmate, in Elbow Cay. While in the water they faced bad weather and Lynette Hooker fell off the dinghy, Brian Hooker told authorities.

Brian and Lynette Hooker in a photo posted to their social media.
the_sailing_hookers/Instagram

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April 8

Brian Hooker was arrested and questioned by police. His attorney said he was cooperating with authorities.

April 13

After five days in custody, Brian Hooker was released without charges.

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April 14

Brian Hooker spoke with ABC News, saying he was staying in the Bahamas until his visa runs out.

"My sole focus is finding Lynette, no matter how likely or unlikely that is," he said. "This search for Lynette has been interrupted by the investigation. I understand that investigations have to take place, but I'm going as soon as I can to start finding Lynette."

"I'm going to keep going. I'm not leaving until I'm told to leave or convinced that it's fruitless," he said.

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Husband of woman missing in Bahamas tells ABC News his 'sole focus' is finding his wife

April 15

One day after Brian Hooker vowed to stay in the Bahamas, his attorney told ABC News that he left the islands, noting that his mother is not well.

April 16

The Royal Bahamas Defence Force said that the search was still active.

Cadaver dogs from the U.S. Coast Guard were brought in to help.

Cadaver dogs in the Bahamas to help search for missing American Lynette Hooker, April 16, 2026.
ABC News

Authorities "conducted extensive shoreline patrols, sea patrols, aerial drone surveillance, and submersible drone operations," police said in a statement. "To date, these efforts have not resulted in the location of the missing individual. However, search and recovery operations continue with full engagement."

April 19

Karli Aylesworth, who is Lynette Hooker's daughter and Brian Hooker's stepdaughter, opened up to ABC News on April 19, saying she doubted Brian Hooker's story from the beginning.

"I don't understand how she drowned or got floated away," Aylesworth said. "It just made me be more, 'Why didn't he do this? Why didn't you do that? Why did that happen?'"

Aylesworth has traveled to the Bahamas to help with the search for her mother and said she met with the Coast Guard and the Bahamian authorities.

"It still feels surreal," Aylesworth said. "... This feels like something you just watch in a movie, but it's my life."

May 14

The U.S. Coast Guard released an image of the Soulmate, which it said was seized during an operation off the coast of Florida.
U.S. Coast Guard

The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed in a press release that it had seized the Soulmate approximately 40 nautical miles off the coast of Melbourne, Florida, "as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into the disappearance of Lynette Hooker." It did not say when the operation occurred. Sources told ABC News the boat was believed to have been seized prior to May 11.

May 27

On May 27, the Coast Guard Investigative Service was preparing to ask the Bahamas for permission to send in U.S divers to search new areas, according to multiple U.S. officials.

Forensic evidence recovered from Brian Hooker's electronic devices has led investigators to new areas of interest that were previously not searched, according to U.S. officials.

According to one U.S. official, what Hooker told investigators doesn't match the GPS data that was derived from his electronic devices.

June 2

During the week of June 2, the Coast Guard conducted a new search in the Bahamas, using divers, underwater vehicles, drones and a cadaver dog to "thoroughly examine newly identified areas of interest."

The Coast Guard searching for a missing person, Lynette Hooker, in the Bahamas.
U.S. Coast Guard
The Coast Guard searching for a missing person, Lynette Hooker, in the Bahamas.
U.S. Coast Guard

The Coast Guard also took custody of the Hookers' dinghy so it can be further examined in the U.S.

June 8

On June 8, the Coast Guard announced that it concluded its search in the Bahamas.

The Coast Guard is asking anyone with information to contact the Coast Guard Investigative Service Tips app.

ABC News' Luke Barr contributed to this report.

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