A park ranger discovered a body matching the description of missing 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells off the coast of Horn Island, Mississippi, on Monday morning, July 6, 2026.
Officials have suspended active rescue operations following the discovery.
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According to Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter, search crews recovered the individual at approximately 8:45 a. m.
in the water just offshore from the northwest end of the wilderness island.
Wells was last seen there around 3 p. m.
on Saturday, July 4, after celebrating Independence Day on the island. His mother reported him missing late Saturday night.
Multiple agencies participated in the intensive search, including the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department, the U.
S.
Coast Guard, the Gulf Islands National Seashore, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, and the United Cajun Navy.
Sheriff Ledbetter stated that the located individual matched the description of the missing teenager and that officials had immediately contacted the family.
Emergency personnel transported the county coroner to the island by boat. Official confirmation regarding the identity of the deceased remains pending from medical authorities.
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Jackson County Coroner Bruce Lynd said an examination at the state medical examiner's office will be required for official verification.
Family members have already shared posts on social media acknowledging their loss.
“We are going to confirm positive identification through DNA,” Lynd said.
