Missing American's husband had $33K thermal camera on boat that night and never used it, friend says

A person of Brian Hooker says the hubby of a missing American pistillate had a $33,000 high-tech thermal camera connected his vessel that night, and ne'er utilized it to hunt for her.

After leaving enactment astatine Hope Town successful the Bahamas astatine astir 7:30 p.m. connected April 4, Brian Hooker told authorities that unsmooth waters caused his woman to autumn disconnected their dinghy. Brian Hooker paddled to enactment and arrived astatine Marsh Harbour astir 4 a.m. connected April 5, according to authorities.

The mates was headed backmost to their sailboat, which is their full-time location successful retirement, erstwhile Lynette seemingly fell overboard. They often sail astir the U.S. and Caribbean, according to their societal media pages.

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(L) Brian Hooker and his sailboat Soulmate (R) (Matthew Symons for Fox News Digital and Coast Guard)

Daniel Danforth, who's friends with the couple, told Fox News Digital that the couple's boat, Soulmate, contains a thermal camera that Brian Hooker could person utilized to assistance hunt for his wife.

COAST GUARD SEIZES BRIAN HOOKER'S SAILBOAT AS IT LEAVES BAHAMAS AFTER WIFE’S DISAPPEARANCE: REPORT

"One of the neat features that they had connected their vessel that astir boats don't person is called a FLIR system. And it's a forward-looking infrared. And what it is simply a camera strategy that's not lone nighttime vision, but it's besides thermally operated that it tin prime up vigor signatures and stuff," Danforth said.

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U.S. Coast Guard investigators hunt the vessel Soulmate docked astatine their presumption successful Fort Pierce, Fla., connected May 13, 2026. The vas belongs to Brian Hooker and his missing woman Lynette Hooker and was brought backmost to the U.S. from The Bahamas by the Coast Guard. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)

Danforth said helium met the Hookers successful 2023 portion they were successful New Orleans, Louisiana, and recalled an enactment with Brian Hooker wherever helium said the thermal camera strategy kept them safe.

"He said, well, 'don't interest portion we're connected the dock, we're gonna beryllium wholly safe. This happening has auto-detect that you tin acceptable the temperature.' So similar helium said that night, arsenic an example, helium acceptable the temperatures connected it to 86 degrees. Well, past you tin spot my woman walking down the dock and the camera automatically started tracking her going backmost to our boat, conscionable due to the fact that it was strictly disconnected the vigor signature," Danforth said.

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Danforth, who lives connected a sailboat with his wife, said the camera strategy "would person been my archetypal prime similar if one was trying to rescue somebody."

In a substance connection sent to Danforth connected April 6, Brian Hooker said Lynette "swam towards the sailboat" aft she fell off.

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Danforth said Brian Hooker messaged him connected Facebook aft Lynette went missing. (Daniel Danforth)

Danforth said helium told the Coast Guard astir the thermal camera successful aboriginal May, earlier the Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) seized Soulmate sometime betwixt May 8 to 10. The Coast Guard has opened an progressive transgression probe into Lynette Hooker's disappearance.

COAST GUARD OPENS CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION INTO MISSING WOMAN LAST SEEN IN BAHAMAS

Lynette Hooker and Brian Hooker are seen successful a representation taken successful 2023 connected a tiny boat. (John Waters)

"I told them astir it and they were precise interested. That was the archetypal they had heard astir that strategy being connected the boat. And truthful they told maine that they were going to record for a warrant of seizure for that due to the fact that it has a serial number," Danforth said, adding they mightiness beryllium capable to retrieve information from the camera.

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Brian Hooker near the land for the U.S. to thin to his sick mother, his Bahamian lawyer antecedently said aft helium was successful constabulary custody for 5 days. He hasn't been charged with a crime.

His Michigan-based lawyer antecedently asked Americans to springiness him the payment of the uncertainty successful an interrogation with ABC News.

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Lynette Hooker, a 56-year-old American woman, disappeared aft going overboard during a vessel travel successful the Bahamas, according to section officials. ((Brian Hooker/Facebook))

"I would inquire those watching to dainty him the mode you would privation to beryllium treated, to springiness him the payment of the doubt, and to see that not each of us, nor you, considering your ain relationships, the mode you talk to 1 another, we each grip things successful antithetic ways," Crystal Marie Hauser said.

Fox News Digital has reached retired to Hooker's lawyer and the Coast Guard for comment.