Pals of the tragic teen Nolan Wells called for help when their boat suddenly malfunctioned and started taking on water, according to newly released audio from the day of his disappearance.
Wells, 18, traveled with his friends to Horn Island from the Mississippi mainland for the Fourth of July holiday — but he wasn’t with the group for the return journey.
Their boat — which had “like seven” people on board — experienced difficulty at around 4 p.m, according to audio obtained by NBC News.
Facebook/Christine Wonsley
AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura
Facebook/Christine Wonsley
“Hey, we’re at the west tip of Horn, and our bilge pump stopped working. We’re going. We’re sinking. Can you all please come?” the vessel’s operator said.
“I want to get this boat unsank and towed back.”
The boat was then towed for around three miles before picking up normal speed less than an hour later, according to GPS data obtained by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and shared with NBC News.
It returned to the location it originally departed at 5:44 p.m.
The circumstances leading up to Wells’ disappearance and death remain unclear – with Ben Crump, the top civil rights lawyer representing the family, stressing there are still unanswered questions.
via REUTERS
Jackson County Chancery Judge Ashlee Cole – a mom of one of Wells’ pals – said her son last saw Wells at around 3 p.m.
“They left around 4:30 pm when the boat was taking on water and they had an issue with the bilge pump,” she said.
“Nolan made a decision to stay on the island and return inland later with another group of friends.”
Wells, from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, was reported missing the night of July 4 and his body was found two days later in the water, just off shore on the northwest end of the island, according to officials.
He was identified through his dental records.
James Keivom for NY Post
His cause of death hasn’t been released – but Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said he had no reason to suspect foul play was a factor.
Investigators suspect Wells drowned on the now ill-fated trip.
Crump has ordered an independent autopsy — paid for by former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick — but the results have not yet been released.
Facebook/Christine Wonsley
The attorney revealed last week that flight issues delayed the publication of the results.
Wells’ body was flown over 800 miles to medical examiners in Washington, D.C., for the independent autopsy.
On Wednesday, the lawyer said he hopes to share the results “soon, very soon.”
Crump previously told former CNN star Don Lemon the results of the second autopsy would reveal if Wells had “any physical injuries to his body beyond drowning.”
Instagram/attorneycrump
Family via AP
Wells’ funeral will take place in Ocean Springs Monday. His heartbroken mom, Christine Wonsley, said planning for the memorial did “not feel real.”
“All the emotions are running together. I thank God for the moments of being able to watch videos and hear his laugh again. We miss you so much Nolan,” she wrote online.
Source: Nolan Wells’ friends heard calling for help after boat broke down in newly released audio: report