Coast Guard probes alternative scenario in missing Michigan woman's Bahamas case

U.S. Coast Guard investigators are reviewing new evidence in the disappearance of 55-year-old Lynette Hooker, who was reported missing in the Bahamas on April 5. A source close to the family told CBS News that authorities now consider the possibility that Hooker may have made it back to the couple’s sailboat, the "Soulmate," rather than falling overboard from a dinghy as her husband, Brian Hooker, previously claimed.

The investigation also includes a review of whether a physical altercation occurred aboard the sailboat. The "Soulmate" was seized by the Coast Guard in May about 40 nautical miles off Florida’s coast, and the dinghy was seized in the Bahamas in June. Evidence from both vessels is being examined at an FBI facility in Quantico, Virginia.

Brian Hooker reported that his wife fell overboard while the pair were returning to the sailboat after a nighttime ride from Elbow Cay. He said she was swept away by rough waters after the dinghy’s keys bounced off, and that he paddled back to shore. He has not been charged and denies any wrongdoing; he was briefly detained by Bahamian authorities before being released and returning to the United States.

In an April interview, Hooker described sailing with his wife as "fantastic" and said they were "more like co-captains." No comment has been received from his attorney regarding the latest investigative developments.