The seek for Nolan Xavier Wells, a teen who vanished on Fourth of July at a barrier island off the Mississippi Gulf Coast, was referred to as off on Monday after authorities recovered a physique.
Whereas regulation enforcement is awaiting DNA testing to formally affirm the identification of the stays, Jackson County Coroner Bruce Lynd informed reporters that it matched Wells’s description and “there is no such thing as a cause to consider it isn’t him.”
Wells, an 18-year-old soccer participant at Southwest Mississippi Group Faculty, disappeared Saturday afternoon throughout a visit with buddies to Horn Island, a barrier island that’s a part of the Gulf Islands Nationwide Seashore and is about ten miles off the coast. Authorities mentioned that Wells’s buddies left the island with out him that afternoon. “From what we perceive, he selected to remain there,” Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter mentioned on Monday. Wells’s mom, Christine Wonsley, reported him lacking that night, triggering a search-and-rescue operation by authorities together with the Mississippi Division of Marine Sources, the Nationwide Park Service, and the U.S. Coast Guard in addition to the United Cajun Navy, an emergency-response group.
A physique believed to be Wells’s was recovered Monday morning by a park ranger. Ledbetter added that up to now, authorities don’t suspect foul play however an investigation is ongoing.
Following the restoration, Wonsley posted on Fb thanking those that helped seek for her son. She added, “His father Elmore Wonsley, our household, buddies and I are completely devastated. My coronary heart is damaged for our candy son who was at all times prepared to cheer and uplift others. Nolan was a particular soul, God took his time creating our son.”
Throughout social media, those that knew Wells remembered him as a sort and hard-working younger man. “We’re devastated by Nolan’s passing,” mentioned Jake Bramlett, the top soccer coach at Ocean Springs Excessive Faculty, the place Wells was a multisport athlete earlier than graduating final 12 months. “He was the sort of son, teammate, pal and pupil that each coach hopes to have in a program … Nolan was a lot greater than an excellent soccer participant. He carried himself with humility, handled others with respect, labored exhausting and led by instance. His character spoke louder than his accomplishments, and he was beloved deeply by his teammates and coaches.”
Mates of Wells’s household have additionally created a GoFundMe to assist cowl the funeral and memorial bills, in addition to any extra prices his family members are at present going through. “Whereas no phrases can ease the ache of this unimaginable loss, we’re deeply grateful for each one that searched, prayed, shared his story, and stood beside our household throughout these troublesome days,” the fundraiser reads.
We’ve reached out to Wells’s household for remark and can replace this story if we hear again.
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