Photo: Christine Wonsley/Facebook
The search for Nolan Xavier Wells has ended in tragedy. The body discovered Monday morning (July 6) on the northwest end of Horn Island is believed to be that of 18-year-old Nolan Wells, the Ocean Springs teenager who went missing on the Fourth of July.
Jackson County Coroner Bruce Lynd said DNA testing will officially confirm the identity, but added: "There is no reason to believe it is not him," per WLOX.
The body was found around 8:45 a.m. by a park ranger and matched Wells' description, according to Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter.
Wells' family confirmed the loss on social media before the official announcement. His mother, Christine Wonsley, wrote on Facebook: "I want to thank our family, friends, community, United Cajun Navy, local law enforcement, and everyone involved for all the love, support, resources over the last few days. His father, our family, friends and I are absolutely devastated. My heart [is] broken for my sweet son who was always willing to cheer and uplift others."
She concluded, "Nolan was a special soul, God took his time creating our son. I ask that you please give me and my family time to grieve."
Wells had traveled to Horn Island by boat with friends on July 4 to celebrate the holiday. He was last seen around 3 p.m. on the western tip of the island's north shore. His friends returned to the mainland without him, according to his mother.
His phone was later recovered and returned to his family. A park ranger discovered the body on the island's northwest end Monday morning around 8:45 a.m., per WLOX.
A massive multi-agency search had been underway since Wells was reported missing, involving the Jackson County Sheriff's Department, the Harrison County Sheriff's Department, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, the Gulf Islands National Seashore, and the United Cajun Navy.
Wells was a wide receiver on the freshman football roster at Southwest Mississippi Community College and a former football standout at Ocean Springs High School. His team had released a statement asking the community to pray for his safe return.
His mother had posted repeatedly on social media appealing for information, writing: "Please, if you're a praying person, please pray he is found alive, safe, and unharmed."
The cause of his death has not yet been released.
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