Updated

Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Aug 20

Horn Island Logged 0 Drownings in 6 Years as Nolan Wells Death Remains Undetermined

Updated

Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Aug 20

Horn Island Logged 0 Drownings in 6 Years as Nolan Wells Death Remains Undetermined

Q: If the boat was sinking at 4 p.m., why was Nolan Wells only reported missing hours later near midnight?

There is no verified public explanation yet for the several-hour gap between the 4 p.m. sinking-boat call and Nolan Wells being reported missing around 11:49 p.m. What is documented is this: Sea Tow audio shows a teen on the boat called for help around 4 p.m. and said the bilge pump had failed and the boat was sinking. In that call, the teen also said “everyone is on board,” a statement that has drawn scrutiny because multiple later accounts say Nolan did not leave the island with that boat. GPS data shows the boat departed Horn Island at 4:31 p.m. and returned to the mainland area by about 6:06 p.m. Wells was then reported missing close to midnight. Friends have said they believed Wells chose to stay on the island with a girl and would return later with others. That account, if true, could explain why they did not treat his absence as an emergency immediately. But that narrative is disputed. Wells’ parents say he would not have separated from the group, and reporting has cited conflicting statements from the girl’s side about whether Wells was actually expected to get back on the boat. Another factor appears to be confusion over his phone location. His family has said Snapchat and Life360 data pointed to different places, and his phone was later traced to a friend’s home, which may have delayed clarity about whether he was stranded, elsewhere on land, or truly missing. So, at this stage, the delay remains one of the central unresolved questions in an open investigation.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Aug 20

Open-records data reviewed by People found the Jackson County Coroner recorded no drowning deaths at Horn Island in the past six years, adding new scrutiny to Nolan Wells' case.
Wells, 18, disappeared over the Fourth of July weekend after traveling to the island with friends; his body was found on July 6, two days after the group returned without him.
Friends have said Wells stayed behind with an unknown girl, but his parents dispute that account and say he would not have separated from the group.
Benjamin Crump is representing the family, which ordered an independent investigation and autopsy; last month forensic pathologist Roger Mitchell listed Wells' cause of death as undetermined pending investigation.
The official autopsy has been completed but not released publicly, leaving the case unresolved as the family continues to press for answers.