00:00An 18-year-old star football player found dead after vanishing during a 4th of July boating
00:05trip with friends, as questions swirl about what led up to the teenager's tragic death.
00:10What do authorities know about the disappearance and death of college wide receiver Nolan Wells?
00:15Here's what you need to know. A 4th of July boating trip turned tragic in Mississippi
00:19after college student Nolan Xavier Wells went missing on Horn Island. According to authorities,
00:25Wells and a group of friends took a boat out to the island, a popular spot about 10 miles
00:29off the Mississippi Gulf Coast to celebrate the 4th. Though it isn't clear if anything transpired
00:35on the island, the Jackson County Sheriff's Office said Wells was last seen around 3pm
00:39talking to a girl at the north end of the island. According to Ebony Magazine, the girl's mother
00:44reportedly took to Facebook to confirm that her daughter had been with Wells, but that she didn't
00:49have any information on his sudden disappearance. Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter told ABC
00:55news that Wells' friends eventually left the island to go back home without him, telling the outlet
01:00that Wells supposedly chose to stay on the Oasis. But as it got dark and there was no sign of
01:05Wells,
01:06the 18-year-old's mother called to report him missing at around midnight, according to WLOX.
01:11The next day, the Coast Guard and Sheriff's Office jumped into action to try and find Wells.
01:16At least several other agencies also joined in the search, but authorities were coming up empty.
01:21On July 6, authorities got a break in the case. A US Park Service ranger had recovered a body off
01:27the
01:27northwestern tip of the island. The coroner told WLOX that he had, quote, no reason to believe it
01:33wasn't him. The outlet later reported that his body was positively identified through dental records.
01:38But what led to Wells' untimely death is still a mystery, and Wells' family is demanding answers.
01:44Wells' cause of death has not yet been determined and could take weeks pending autopsy results.
01:49However, authorities told ABC News he's suspected of drowning, as the investigation remains ongoing.
01:55Ledbetter told ABC News that foul play is not suspected in Wells' death.
01:59However, TNZ reported that law enforcement was looking into a viral clip circulating online,
02:04which allegedly shows several people having an argument near the Horn Island shoreline.
02:11The video sparked speculation that the tense moment could be connected to Wells' disappearance.
02:16However, authorities have not confirmed that the footage is authentic, or whether the people
02:20seen in it have any connection to the college student.
02:23Ledbetter said in a July 7 statement that officers are looking to speak with anyone who, quote,
02:28observed or heard an argument, disturbance, or other unusual activity, while on the island that day.
02:34Wells' grieving family have since retained the services of prominent civil rights attorney,
02:38Ben Crump, who insists that they will, quote,
02:41not rest until every fact about what happened to Nolan on Horn Island is brought into the light.
Comments