OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (Queen City Newsfeed) — A body found in the water off the northwest end of Horn Island on Monday morning has been identified as 18 year old Nolan Xavier Wells, according to Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter.
A park ranger discovered the body around 8:45 a.m. Jackson County Coroner Bruce Lynd said DNA testing will make the identification official, though he noted there was little doubt about the outcome. The sheriff confirmed the body matched Wells’ description, and family members shared posts on social media confirming the loss.
Wells’ mother reported him missing late Saturday night after he traveled to the island with friends for the Fourth of July. He was last seen around 3 p.m. that day. The search that followed brought together several agencies, including the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, the Department of Marine Resources, the Gulf Islands National Seashore, the U.S. Coast Guard and the United Cajun Navy.
Wells was a 2025 graduate of Ocean Springs High School, where he played multiple sports, and went on to play football at Southwest Mississippi Community College.
Ocean Springs Head Football Coach Jake Bramlett said the team is heartbroken by the loss, describing Wells as the kind of teammate and student every coach hopes to have in a program. He said Wells led with humility and hard work, and that his character meant more to those around him than his achievements on the field.
Ocean Springs High School Principal Dr. Jacob Dykes remembered Wells as an extremely kind and hardworking young man who made a lasting impression on teachers, coaches and classmates.
In a statement, Southwest Mississippi Community College President Dr. J. Steven Bishop said the entire Southwest family is mourning Wells’ loss, calling him an exemplary student, athlete and teammate who was well respected and popular among friends, faculty and staff. Bishop said the college’s prayers remain with the Wells family in the days ahead, and that professional counselors and local ministers would be available Monday to support teammates and friends returning to campus.
In a Facebook post, Wells’ mother, Christine Wonsley, thanked family, friends, the community, local law enforcement and the United Cajun Navy for their support during the search. She asked for time and privacy as the family grieves, writing, “Nolan was a special soul, God took his time creating our son.”