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Distress Call Audio Released in Case of Teen Found Dead Off Mississippi Coast
Emergency audio from July 4 captures a boat operator reporting a bilge pump failure near Horn Island where 18-year-old Nolan Wells vanished. Wells' body was recovered two days later. His family disputes the account that he stayed behind voluntarily and has commissioned an independent autopsy.
Jul 16, 5:22 PM·1m read1 source
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Emergency audio released from a boat near the western tip of Horn Island on July 4 captures a caller reporting that the bilge pump had stopped working and the vessel was sinking. , roughly an hour after Wells was last seen by members of the group. The caller told responders the boat was at the west tip of Horn and stated "Yeah, yeah, everybody is on board" when asked if all passengers were safe.
According to GPS and emergency records, the boat was towed several miles before it regained normal operation and returned to its original departure point. Authorities believe Wells remained on the island voluntarily after the boat departed. Chancery Judge Ashlee Cole stated her son Warren last saw Wells around 3 p.m.
On July 4 and that Wells decided to stay behind. Wells' body was found on July 6 in waters near the northwestern tip of Horn Island. Attorney Ben Crump, who represents the family, announced less than a week earlier that his team had obtained video showing a confrontation shortly before Wells disappeared, in which a voice says "Give me my freaking phone.
Tracestin Shepherd stated he was the person heard yelling in the video and that Wells does not appear in it. Wells' cellphone and keys were returned by others after the trip. His mother, Christine Wonsley, said the family found no Snapchat images or videos on his accounts.
The Wells family has commissioned an independent autopsy. Wonsley stated the family wants honesty and transparency along with a thorough investigation. Mississippi officials have urged the public not to rush to conclusions while the probe continues.
