An 18-year-old man was found dead after a boat trip to celebrate the Fourth of July on an island off the Mississippi Gulf.
When his friends returned to the platform several hours later, Nolan Wells was no longer among them. His family then reported his disappearance to the authorities.
His body was discovered by police on the island the following Monday. Jackson County Medical Examiner Bruce Lynd told CNN that no apparent physical injuries were immediately visible.
On the evening of July 4, Nolan Wells was on a boat with friends heading to Horn Island, according to information provided by his family.
Nolan Wells, found dead after a boat trip to celebrate the Fourth of July on an island off the coast of the Mississippi Gulf.
Photo taken from Facebook | Jackson County Sheriff’s Department
The day after his disappearance, his mother, Christine Wonsley, launched desperate appeals on social networks to try to find her son, specifying that she had his phone in her possession.
She published photos of him, taken during this boat trip, where we see him smiling at the camera, in a blue swimsuit, sunglasses on his nose.
“We have so many questions. We are heartbroken, still waiting to see Nolan walk through that door again with his beautiful smile and, of course, a joke, his mother wrote. We pray that our son is alive and safe. »
Authorities are still trying to understand why Nolan Wells didn’t go back on the boat with his friends, or why he didn’t have his phone on him. An alleged altercation on the island is currently being investigated, with investigators looking to establish whether the victim was involved.
The mother of one of the men photographed alongside Nolan says her son saw him “last time” around 3 p.m. that day. “They left around 4:30 p.m. when the boat was taking on water and they had a problem with the bilge pump,” Ashlee Cole wrote in a Facebook post.
A call for witnesses has been launched by investigators to gather information on the circumstances leading up to his death.
On social networks, the death of Nolan Wells provoked numerous reactions and placed him at the center of a tense debate on race relations in the United States.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family cover funeral costs.
“We are heartbroken beyond words,” we read. Nolan Xavier Wells was a beloved son, grandson, brother, friend and teammate whose life touched many. His smile, his kindness and his love for others left an indelible mark on all those who knew him. »
