Jackson County emergency personnel found an unidentified body on the northwest end of Horn Island on Monday morning, July 6, 2026, during the search for missing 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells.
The Jackson County Sheriff's Department reported that a park ranger located the deceased individual at approximately 8:45 a.
m.
Sheriff John Ledbetter stated that authorities have not officially confirmed the identity of the body.
Search Operation Details
Wells was last seen on Horn Island at around 3 p. m.
on Saturday, July 4.
The multi-agency search operation involves 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.
First responders set up a centralized command post at the Lake Mars Boat Launch on Lake Mars Avenue in Ocean Springs to coordinate logistics.
Wells previously played football at Ocean Springs High School and currently serves as a wide receiver for Southwest Mississippi Community College.
