Newly released audio from a call made to Sea Tow on July 4 does not indicate anything nefarious surrounding the disappearance and subsequent death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells, according to retired FBI agent Jonathan Gilliam.
Wells went missing on July 4 after a boating trip with friends to Horn Island, a barrier island off the Mississippi Gulf Coast. His remains were found on the island two days later by a National Parks Service ranger. Investigators believe Wells chose to remain on the island, and his mother was not informed of his disappearance until later that night, prompting her to contact authorities.
The audio recording captures a caller aboard a boat reporting that the vessel was taking on water and sinking. The individual stated there were seven people on board and requested assistance to tow the boat back to the mainland.
"We're sinking. Can y'all please come?" the caller is heard saying to the Sea Tow dispatcher. When asked about the water level, the caller responded, "It's coming up... we're just sinking. I don't know. We're going down though."
The dispatcher clarified with the caller that everyone was on board and in good health. The individual on the boat confirmed this, stating, "Yeah, everyone is on board."
Sea Tow dispatchers spoke with a boat captain who was on the phone with the boat's owner. The dispatcher noted that it sounded like "a bunch of kids on board on Horn Island" and that the owner indicated the teens did not need assistance at that moment but would call back if the situation changed. Sea Tow ultimately did not tow the boat.
Gilliam told Fox News Digital that the audio does not point to foul play, a theory that has circulated on social media. "I don't hear anything nefarious... it just sounded like there was a lot of stuff going on, that they were taking on water — not panic as much as this young person was trying to resolve a situation in a party atmosphere," Gilliam said.
He further argued that the act of calling for assistance contradicts the notion of a cover-up. "If they had done something, that'd be a very bad time for a person who'd done something nefarious to call out people and for them to get away with something," Gilliam stated.
According to a Mississippi Department of Marine Resources police report, several of Wells' friends told authorities he "chose to remain at the island" with an unidentified female, rather than return to the mainland with the group. Authorities initially had no reason to believe there were water-related emergencies and thought it most likely that Wells had left on another vessel without his phone.
An independent autopsy revealed a "red discoloration" on Wells' head, but the medical examiner could not determine a cause or manner of death pending further investigation. An official autopsy report has not yet been completed.
Wells was a wide receiver for Southwest Mississippi Community College with aspirations to play Division 1 football, according to family attorney Ben Crump.