Enhanced Emergency Call Audio Raises New Questions About Nolan Wells’ Final Hours

Nearly four weeks after Nolan Wells was found dead on Horn Island, a new emergency call made by his friends from the night he disappeared is adding another layer of unanswered questions to a case that has gripped the country for weeks.

WLOX obtained the recording directly from the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, revealing a teenager on the boat calling private towing company Sea Tow around 4 p.m. on July 4 as the vessel began taking on water near the west tip of Horn Island.

“Hey we’re at the west tip of Horn, and our bilge pump stopped working. We’re sinking. Can y’all please come?” the caller said.

When the dispatcher asked how serious the situation was, the teen replied, “It’s coming up. We’re just sinking. I don’t know. We’re going down though.”

The caller confirmed everyone was on board and in good health, provided GPS coordinates and asked for the boat to be towed to Fort Bayou launch. He noted during the call that there were about seven people aboard.

TMZ subsequently enhanced the same recording and reported on Monday, July 27, that in the background of the call, someone seems to say “Is he dead?” about 12 seconds in.

Other phrases flagged by the outlet include “Nolan,” followed by a clear “Oh my God,” as well as what sounds like “Check his chest” and “wake up,” along with a caller audibly yelling, “[Expletive] up.”

As Globe previously reported, Wells, 18, an Ocean Springs, Mississippi, resident and wide receiver at Southwest Mississippi Community College, disappeared on July 4, 2026, during a Fourth of July trip to Horn Island with friends. His body was found on the island’s north shore on July 6.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department stated at the time that no foul play was suspected.

Wells’ friend Warren Hudson has said a member of their group was panicking while urging Wells to board the boat before it was towed, allegedly yelling, per the New York Post, “Nolan, get the [Expletive] on the boat.” Wells reportedly chose to stay on the island.

Mississippi authorities opened an investigation into Wells’ death, but his parents, Christine Wells-Wonsley and Elmore Wonsley, weren’t waiting for answers. The couple hired civil rights attorney Ben Crump and launched a parallel investigation of their own.

Crump has called for a thorough and transparent investigation into his death, according to WLOX.

On Friday, July 24, Reuters reported that a Mississippi grand jury will review the circumstances surrounding Wells’ death before any evidence is made public. A local prosecutor confirmed the grand jury review but had not specified a timeline for when jurors would take up the matter.

Friends who were with Wells on Horn Island that night have since hired attorneys.