The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

A US Coast Guard dive team arrived in Abaco yesterday to search for Lynette Hooker, the American woman who went missing during a boat trip with her husband in April.

Speaking to media, Hope Town Fire and Rescue Chief Troy Pritchard, who initially led the search into Hooker's disappearance, was doubtful her remains would be found.

“Anything that is found two months afterwards will probably be her personal items,” he said. “I don’t think you would find much of a body in this case. There are quite bit of sharks out here.”

Mr Pritchard said his team initially began the search based on information gathered from police and, the victim’s husband Brian Hooker, but later discovered much of that information was false. He said he hopes new digital evidence will help bring the case to a close.

Videos and photos obtained by The Tribune yesterday showed the US Coast Guard searching several areas of Abaco waters. ABC News reported that the Coast Guard Investigative Service is leading the investigation and received permission from The Bahamas to send US divers to areas that had not previously been searched, according to multiple US officials.

The new search comes after forensic evidence recovered from electronic devices belonging to Hooker's husband led investigators to new areas of interest, officials said.

A US official told ABC News that GPS data recovered from Mr Hooker's devices does not match the account he gave investigators.

CBS News reported that the case is being investigated as a "possible foreign murder of a US national", a US official reportedly told the network.

On April 4, Hooker and her husband, left Hope Town around 7.30pm in an eight-foot dinghy heading towards Elbow Cay.

During the trip, Hooker allegedly fell overboard while holding the boat’s keys, causing the engine to shut off. Authorities said strong currents carried her away and Mr Hooker lost sight of her.

He then paddled the vessel to shore, arriving at the Marsh Harbour Boat Yard around 4am, where he alerted someone who contacted police.

Police initially questioned Mr Hooker in connection with the incident, but he was later released.

Hooker's daughter has raised concerns about the circumstances surrounding her mother's disappearance, saying “prior issues” of domestic violence may be relevant to the investigation.

Last month, American investigators reportedly asked Bahamian police to expand the search for Hooker after electronic location data allegedly conflicted with her husband's initial account of the night she disappeared.

Commissioner Shanta Knowles has previously said that investigators have recovered only a flotation device, which remains the sole piece of evidence in the case.