Law enforcement is searching for an Ocean Springs teenager who traveled to Horn Island with friends on July 4 and has not been seen since.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department said Nolan Xavier Wells, 18, was last seen around 3 p.m. on the barrier island, which was crowded with boaters throughout the holiday weekend. It remains unclear whether he made it back to the mainland.
“Nolan was last seen on Horn Island wearing blue, not black as previously reported, swim trunks, no shirt, and sunglasses,” JCSD said in an updated press release on Sunday afternoon.
“The Jackson County Sherriff’s Department is currently searching Horn Island with assistance of the Department of Marine Resources, the Gulf Islands National Seashore, and the United States Coast Guard,” the release continued.
JCSD said investigators have conducted several interviews since Wells disappeared but are asking anyone who spoke with him on Horn Island and has not yet spoken with law enforcement to contact investigators immediately by calling (228) 769-3063.
“Any information may be the key to establishing Nolan’s last whereabouts,” JCSD said.
Wells is described as a Black male standing at 6-foot-1 and weighing 180 pounds.
Several Mississippi Gulf Coast officials are also urging anyone who may have seen Wells at Horn Island, or potentially given him a ride back to the mainland, to contact authorities.
“If you were on Horn Island on July 4, traveled by boat in the area, or believe you may have seen Nolan or even given him a ride from the island, please contact authorities immediately,” Gautier Mayor Casey Vaughn said in a statement posted to social media. “Even the smallest detail could make a difference.”
The United Cajun Navy and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department are also assisting in the search.
Wells’ mother, Christine Wonsley, has made several social media posts saying her son was last seen on the western tip of the island’s north end. She also said Wells became separated from his phone at some point. The phone has since been returned to her and Wells’ father.
“Please, if you’re a praying person, please pray he is found alive, safe, and unharmed,” Wonsley wrote in one of the posts.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department at (228) 769-3063 or the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources at (844) 937-6636.
