Authorities say 18-year-old Nolan Wells likely drowned after July 4 party on Mississippi island
Investigators say Nolan Wells, 18, was seen drinking heavily before he disappeared during a July 4 celebration on Horn Island, and his death is being treated as an accidental drowning pending autopsy results.
Mississippi officials are investigating the death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells, whose body was recovered two days after he vanished from Horn Island following a July 4 party. A preliminary report from the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, obtained by ABC News, states that witnesses told investigators Wells consumed a large amount of alcohol while on the island.
Friends of Wells confirmed he was drinking with the group and that he remained on the island after his companions left due to boat trouble, saying he would find another way home. Tracestin Shepherd, who was part of the gathering, said he spent most of the day with the partygoers before leaving the island after an altercation.
The department’s document also notes Wells was accompanied by an unidentified female, later identified as Katie McCormack; her sister has said the two only spoke briefly and that the family is cooperating with investigators.
Authorities have described the death as an accidental drowning, though the state medical examiner’s autopsy results are still pending. A private autopsy conducted earlier was inconclusive, with the cause and manner of death listed as undetermined, according to Roger Mitchell, president of the National Medical Association. About 60 witnesses have been interviewed in the ongoing investigation.