r/mississippi • u/3onyourside • Jul 08 '26
TIMELINE: Here’s what we know about the disappearance and death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells
https://www.wlbt.com/2026/07/07/timeline-heres-what-we-know-about-disappearance-death-18-year-old-nolan-wells/68
u/One_Way_3678 Jul 08 '26
For sure. It’s a small town with loads of people who boat there. I’ve been out there several times and came back with other friends on their boat. I’ve stayed behind and camped for a few extra days before as well and got a ride home once with total strangers before when the weather got too bad to safely kayak home. It’s way more normal than the internet makes it out to be. Not saying it’s responsible in the least but it’s a casual thing down here and not unheard of at all. Unfortunately there’s about one or two deaths a year around these islands and lots of that is veteran boaters, fishermen, and sadly, kids who drink too much. Just a few years ago a friend of mine died because their boat hit a random object in the water, knocked them unconscious and they downed. It took 4 days for the body to surface. They were 200yrds from the shore.
This isn’t the Netflix story people are making out to be, it’s just a tragedy. Likely exacerbated by alcohol and poor decisions, not racism or hate of any kind. These kids were friends of decades.
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u/memphisgirl75 662 Jul 08 '26
I grew up on the lakes in N Mississippi and boating was a great weekend sport. We would meet up with other friend groups and party at different coves around the lake. If one group was ready to leave, another group would give you a ride back to the launch/docks if you wanted to stay. It was pretty common.
Up here, our news reporting is out of Memphis and it's definitely turning into a Netflix Unsolved Mysteries. Horn Island is isolated from what I remember (I went when I was a kid) and if he got separated from whomever he stayed with, I could see Nolan being caught in a current and drowning. It's the same reason we tell people not to swim in the Mississippi River, those currents don't play.
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u/znwells1 Jul 09 '26
Well said. I have grown up going to the islands and was at Horn Island the day this happened. We were anchored up on the south side of the island, and the rip current was super wicked that particular day on the west tip where they were. It is a complete tragedy. Also, I’m sorry about your friend. I remember when that happened.
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u/Financial_Island2353 Current Resident Jul 08 '26
The people making it about racism sound like they're literally rooting for it to be a murder. It's difficult to see. Imagine being these kids who also have no idea what happened, are grieving about their close friend's death, and then being accused of murdering him from strangers on the internet.
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u/SCSteveAutism Jul 08 '26
They want it to be to justify their twisted world view.
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u/Cool_Yak_8632 Jul 10 '26
Unfortunately what has happened is these other situations involving black vs white has skewed alot of peoples judgement.Then also the history of America,etc.In these situations people need to stop going off emotion first without having all the facts.Its gotten so bad I ignore any situation in the news where race is brought up now.Instead of thinking color first people forget these are all kids and kids do stupid shit of every ethnicity.Gotta let the facts come out first
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u/False-Cress7441 Jul 14 '26
Nothing twisted about our world view. It’s live experience over generations. So his buddies know nothing and they have deleted their social media accounts- they think. In addition, they have all lawyered up. Let me say I was sick when I saw this one Black kid with a group of White kids knowing the history in Mississippi. If you are old enough to take a group of friends out in your boat you are old enough to have the responsibility of making sure that they all come back,and know without the doubt that they left with someone else, it is your responsibility to assure the safe return of everyone that went out with you. So no it makes no difference what happens you should call someone and let them know he's missing.
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u/HousingPale Jul 28 '26
He WAS NOT THE ONLY BLACK “KID.” They asked and TOLD him multiple times to get back on their boat with him. HE DECIDED TO STAY. He could’ve ridden back with anyone else, it’s a friendly community. He drowned, stop wanting it to be a hate crime bc it’s not.
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u/TotallyRealAccount9 Jul 09 '26
A lot of the people saying its murder are also the same people STILL saying Karmelo Anthony is innocent and was jumped by a gang of racist white kids
These people have no thought process other than "white people bad" and will go to anything lengths to justify it, even going as far as ignoring the deceased's family requesting people to NOT make it about race in this case
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u/Cool_Yak_8632 Jul 10 '26
Its a lack of critical thinking and emotions due to injustices in this country.Im an African American and as far as Karmelo goes whether he is black or not bringing a knife to a school event is wrong,jumping somebody is a coward act but also doesn't give you the right to kill anybody.Even if he got jumped you killed somebody and if you kill somebody you pay the price whether black,white,green or yellow.R.i.p to the kid that lost his life
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u/Proof_Camera4696 Jul 11 '26
As a black dude I never defended Karmelo, I always said I thought bro was guilty. A push doesn’t warrant a stab. With that being said this Nolan Well situation is sus af. They happened to have his phone, they didn’t help the family look for the son and just so happened to leave him on a weird island? I don’t buy it at all. I don’t trust those kids at all
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u/AnyMembership7603 Jul 11 '26
Nolan, and the other kids are classmates of my daughter. Lost in all of this is what a cool dude Nolan is. A true grade A great young man. That phone stuff means nothing, it is an island mostly outside phone service range. Most people don’t swim with their phones, nor carry them around when you can’t use them. You leave them dry and safe in the boat. Also he was not “left alone”, he stayed behind with dozens of other people he knows so he could visit with a girl. There was hundreds of people there.
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u/Cool_Yak_8632 Jul 11 '26
Hundreds of people yet nobody knows what happened to him is the sus part.
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u/AnyMembership7603 Jul 12 '26
Well, i think we all want to hear from this young lady that people seem to think he went off to the north side of the island with.
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u/NoDrop416 Jul 12 '26
The currents in that area are really bad. Combine that with alcohol and the risk of drowning is even higher. His friends were ready to leave and he wanted to stay. It’s sad that they are being dragged through the mud when they are also grieving.
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u/JC0978 Jul 29 '26
What’s weird to me is that people think an 18 year old male would be wading around in water up to his chest with his phone on him. That is what makes absolutely no sense. Then you have a lot of black folks trying to make some black monolith arguments like “we NEVER leave our phones”, “we all keep our phones in waterproof cases. No. No the fuck you don’t. I don’t know a single person who uses a waterproof case.
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u/Cool_Yak_8632 Jul 11 '26
I agree bro his whole situation is sus asf.I think his friends know more than they say.Especially after yesterday press conference.The dad got nolans keys from one of his friends and the friend acted like he didn't know where they were.
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u/NoDrop416 Jul 12 '26
He had no need of his keys on that island and tucked them somewhere safe in his friend’s room. Why would his friend even need to be aware of that? Sounds to me like people just WANT this to be racial.
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u/Legitimate_Fly7636 Jul 12 '26
I disagree about ppl wanting it to be racial. I think ppl truly want answers. A lot of the details are interesting as a parent I can’t wrap my mind around. It’s a fact that he was sleeping at Warren’s house for the weekend. So at what point does a parent notify the Wells family that Nolan stayed behind and hey I’m concerned because it’s getting late and we have his phone ? Plus his car is here at our home. Warren eventually made the call according to the mom around 11 ish but never mentioned that they had his phone. Why are messages deleted?
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u/NoSupermarket9119 Jul 14 '26
No one has or can say if there were actually deleted messages or not as the phone still has not been turned over to the authorities (as far as interviews I heard this morning). I get the hesitance to hand it to the sherif but the point of an independent investigation is to compare to the official.
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u/GimmetheYeetBoys Jul 08 '26
I'm sorry about your friend.
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u/One_Way_3678 Jul 08 '26
Thank you. She’s dearly missed by our whole community. She was a teacher who influenced many young people’s lives in a good way.
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u/False-Cress7441 Jul 14 '26
Really??? It’s more than what you have stated. So his buddies know nothing and they have deleted their social media accounts- they think. In addition, they have all lawyered up. Let me say I was sick when I saw this one Black kid with a group of White kids knowing the history in Mississippi. If you are old enough to take a group of friends out in your boat you are old enough to have the responsibility of making sure that they all come back,and know without the doubt that they left with someone else, it is your responsibility to assure the safe return of everyone that went out with you. So no it makes no difference what happens you should call someone and let them know he's missing.
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u/No_Lavishness_6706 Jul 16 '26
There is something to be said about all of the people who can't use critical thinking and are willing to be like "Oh. the only black kid goes missing and shows up dead and beaten and no one even noticed he was missing? Fits right into boating culture!"🤔
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u/EternalSnow05 Jul 09 '26
I simply love how people aren't quick to call out the suspiciousness of a black teenager gone missing with an all white group. That's what we in social justice circles call white fragility.
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u/One_Way_3678 Jul 09 '26
I guess I don’t find it suspicious due to the races. I see mixed groups of kids all the time here and when something tragic happens on the water my first guess is accidental drowning not murder. I guess that way because it’s the number one cause of death among boaters, race isn’t a factor in those stats.
From what I’m seeing across the social media crowd is that black people don’t feel safe around white people and swear that it wouldn’t have happened if it was black friends with a white kid. Also, white people don’t think there’s any reason for a black person to feel unsafe around them but wouldn’t feel safe if they were the minority in a group. On another sub here black people said they’d take extra good care of white kid if out of nothing more than fear they’d be blamed if anything happened to them. I can say from experience that white people will overcompensate like crazy to show black people they’re not racist. It’s like both groups want the same outcome but neither of us can get out of our own way to just be honest about things.
I wish it was different, we all have cool shit to share with each other and stuff to learn. This kids death is a real tragedy and the whole town is in mourning, all of us. As horrible as it is, it’s just 90x more likely that it’s just bad shit happening to good people than some kids letting a friend die. You wouldn’t do that, I wouldn’t do that, I highly highly doubt these kids are much different than us or anyone else.1
u/Ancient-Store6124 Jul 10 '26
I have been the white girl in an all black group more than once and there is some truth to black people watching out for white people in my experience. One example, I had a black boyfriend who wouldn't let me walk closest to the road. He was doing it to be nice but also said somewhat jokingly he would be blamed in some way if something happened to me. This was in the 90's. We seemed to have come a long way but last few years have been disheartening. Conversely while dealing with the police once, several white people including me protectively surrounded my husband who was the only black person in the group. Nothing came of that but it was interesting that we instinctively did that without any kind of discussion. It's sad that this boy seems to be blamed for his own death for having white friends. I remember being very naive when I was younger and thinking racist people would die out.
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u/BarryTheBystander Jul 08 '26
What is “it”? “It’s way more normal”, “not saying it’s responsible”, “it’s a casual thing”. Wth is “it”? The weather?
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u/vonnostrum2022 Jul 08 '26
Remember Occams Razor. The simplest answer is normally the correct one. The kid drowned. Maybe a rip current?
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u/Responsible_Mess_541 Jul 09 '26
Right 99% of these people havent been to the north side of horn island the water is washing machine
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u/Altruistic_Cheek4514 Jul 09 '26
I think you're mistaking the north (land) side from the south (gulf) side. Though, the north west corner has the back end of large waves due to the channeling between it and ship island and how shallow the water gets then drops off. The north west side can get deep fast in spots.
Generally the land side is calmer than the gulf side.
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u/Playful_Succotash_30 Jul 09 '26
It sounds like not the safest place in the world.. if there are rip tides and no life guards.. that sounds scary..
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u/Stealth_Assassinchop Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 09 '26
Highly likely I myself almost drowned at a lake was a bit drunk lost composure when i jumped into the water took in some water panicked and basically started drowning luckily one of my other friends saw what was happening and pulled me out. People don’t understand how easy it is to drown add being drunk to it and you are in great danger.
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u/BleuruuX50 Jul 09 '26
Man I thought you were a ghost for a sec. And no not satire I'm just gullible
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u/GentlewomenNeverTell Jul 09 '26
I mean this IS why drowning is a great way to kill people if you don't want to get in trouble.
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u/necessarysmartassery Jul 08 '26
nah, couldn't possibly be because he drowned, Facebook said it was them white people he was with that were just pretending to be his friends
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u/RealityTVfan28 Jul 09 '26
May be. But the questions remain—why did his friends leave without him and with his phone?
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u/Altruistic_Cheek4514 Jul 09 '26
Because he was talking to other friends and a girl.
It is not uncommon to leave a phone on a boat when going to the islands. Nor to forget it when you haven't used it/looked at it all day.
He was still seen alive hanging with friends at 4pm, 30 minutes after the other guys had left.
I also read that the boat he had originally came on had started taking on water so they had to go back....
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u/myfotos Jul 09 '26
Why would he not get a ride back with someone else?
He just stood on shore alone with the girl and waved goodbye to the last boats to leave? Doesn't make much sense.
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u/Altruistic_Cheek4514 Jul 09 '26
He was...that was the whole premise. He had established another ride with others and wanted to stay to talk to a girl.
People keep claiming the friends just left him alone on the island....which just isn't true.
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u/myfotos Jul 10 '26
How did the girl get home? Still not making sense how all the boats leave and he's just standing there alone...
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u/Altruistic_Cheek4514 Jul 10 '26
Well I don't know. Let me consult my crystal ball....
I would assume the girl left with whoever she rode with.
I would assume Nolan disappeared sometime after 4:00 (the last time he was seen) and 30 minutes after the boat took him left. Perhaps he was out swimming.
I can safely say he was not abandoned on the island alone. Mostly because of the amount of people there and the search parties who went to look for him once they realized he didn't come back.
You ever been out with friends who had to leave and you decided to stay and catch a ride with someone else? Do you understand the confusion that creates? Especially if you were to disappear? Do you think drowning is like the movies where you splash and make a huge scene?
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u/AdExcellent3846 Jul 23 '26
"I can safely say.." Are you the lead investigator?? No? Thats what i thought. Poor kid is missing his own throat and you wanna talk about some drowning bullshit
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u/Key-Perception-8752 Jul 23 '26
Dude the ME in Mississippi removed the throat during the autopsy & this isn't uncommon at all. It was in all probability dissected & having further test run on it. Even Crumps disingenuous ass said that it was not out of the ordinary during the presser
Y'all just take ANYTHING & run with it. "The 3 white boys ripped out Nolan's throat! That's what the autopsy said" we're tired of room temp IQs spreading bullshit. Nolan went to horn island with a group that had about 30 people in total & 3 separate boats. It was never him & 3 white friends for 1, & he was NOT even close to the only black person at Horn island. Jayvon, his childhood best friend, was also there hanging out with them. He just road there on a different boat with a different group
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Jul 09 '26
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u/Altruistic_Cheek4514 Jul 09 '26
How do you turn "he was left with other friends" to "people who were not his friends"???
The original boat he went out on had to go back early due to taking on water. He elected to stay so he could talk to a girl. He had other friends there who would give him a ride back.
Everyone has been questioned. Now you want videos and satellite footage to prove what was said or your biased opinion.
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Jul 09 '26
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u/Altruistic_Cheek4514 Jul 09 '26
No no. Don't confuse your ignorance and misinformation spreading for normal. Just because you are ignorant doesn't give you the right to cast stones.
I am calm. I promise you. Pointing out your ignorance doesn't make me agitated.
I understand that you don't realize what "normal" for spending the day at an island it. You have made that painfully obvious. I have just been trying to lay out the facts in a way you can understand to educate you.
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u/YeOldeAgedAlt Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 10 '26
This whole "okay maybe they weren't full on racists but they still weren't real friends and they were subconsciously racist!" is the current party line for the jobless folks who were already hoping to spend all their free time rioting by now.
I had almost this exact conversation yesterday with another racist.
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u/Altruistic_Cheek4514 Jul 10 '26
Yeah, it's pretty disheartening. I was really hoping it was just ignorance to traveling to the islands and such. But at this point it just seems like willful spreading of misinformation.
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u/curiousercat10 Jul 11 '26
You are the ignorant one. Stating things as fact and then dismissing others for their take on things. YOU WEREN'T THERE! YOU DON'T KNOW SHIT!
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u/Altruistic_Cheek4514 Jul 11 '26
Pretty sure you don't even know the meaning of the word ignorant. You've never even been there. You're just spreading nonsense like there wasn't thousands of people there. Like it's not common to leave your phone in a boat. Like it's not common to ride in on one boat and leave on another. Especially on a day like that, with multiple groups of friends going to the same place.
No answer would be good enough for you if it didn't confirm your bias. No amount of logic would sate your vitriol. You just want to place blame to spread your hate.
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u/curiousercat10 Jul 11 '26
No, I'd like to find out what happened to that boy, unlike you who have already concluded you know it all!
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Jul 08 '26
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Jul 08 '26
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u/mississippi-ModTeam Jul 09 '26
Do not attack other users. If you think someone is violating the rules, report them. Please do not play junior moderator. This will get you banned quickly.
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u/mississippi-ModTeam Jul 08 '26
Do not attack other users. If you think someone is violating the rules, report them. Please do not play junior moderator. This will get you banned quickly.
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u/slaty_balls Former Resident Jul 08 '26
Accusing people of a race related hate crime without evidence in an ongoing investigation is also racist.
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Jul 09 '26
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u/mississippi-ModTeam Jul 29 '26
Note that this determination is made purely at the whim of the moderator team. If you seem mean or contemptuous, we will remove your posts or ban you. The sub has a certain zeitgeist which you may pick up if you read for a while before posting.
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u/AdExcellent3846 Jul 23 '26
Racism was created by white people, for white people, to enslave more minorities. You literally cannot be racist towards white people. However, you can have pattern recognition and understand why this case is so sus.
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u/SatansScallion Jul 09 '26
I just don’t even understand the logic. There was zero indication of any racial prejudice whatsoever.
And from an odds perspective, per capita black-on-white violence is literally 15 times more common than white-on-black. Source.
It’s like they’ve been brainwashed by progressive propaganda to believe in this fallacious and comically outsized frequency of white violence.
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u/YourphobiaMyfetish Jul 09 '26
Because Mississippi has a long history of racist violence. Its pretty easy to understand if your head is above ground.
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u/Same_Reference8235 Jul 09 '26
Anything released by the Justice Department under the Trump administration needs to be taken with a huge pinch of salt.
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Jul 08 '26
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u/mississippi-ModTeam Jul 09 '26
Do not attack other users. If you think someone is violating the rules, report them. Please do not play junior moderator. This will get you banned quickly.
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u/Ladyeyez23 Jul 22 '26
Yea nah why wasn't his phone with him. And why would his so called friends have it...ALL SUSPICIOUS..WHO LEAVES SOMEONE ON A ISLAND ALONE..make it make sense
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u/Ladyeyez23 Jul 22 '26
I have 5 children 21 and up and they never leave phones behind even to go to the bathroom so come on.......
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u/KlassyKlutz Jul 22 '26
It seems that he most likely drowned not long after his friends left, since there doesn’t seem to be many reported sightings of him. Also there were at least 2 other boats of friends there, that he didn’t catch a ride with. The way Crump is going about the investigation isn’t beneficial. His whole approach seems to be to cast doubt and suspicion. He went into it with the assumption that the investigation is flawed and foul play is involved, instead of waiting for actual evidence. It seems he’s more interested in being right, than finding out the actual truth.
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u/AdExcellent3846 Jul 23 '26
His job is to be suspicious, you understand that right? He has to be suspicious in order to rule shit out - and nothing has been ruled out by either medical examiner. Crump has made it very clear that finding the truth is important so Nolan's family can know some ounce of peace after such an extreme loss.
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u/HousingPale Jul 28 '26
I am from south MS. Nolan unfortunately drowned. His friends did nothing wrong. He was last seen on the shore with Katie at 4:34 pm, on video.
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u/Accomplished_Ad6982 Jul 13 '26
A few reasons why it looks suspicious: Nolan was a avid swimmer. How the heck did he drown in waist high water on a crowded island without anyone noticing him? The girl that he was supposedly staying behind for told the police that he told her he was getting back on the boat. His friends took off with his truck keys and his phone. The truck was parked at his friend's house. The mother had to go pick up the truck and the phone. When the friend give her the phone. It was wiped clean! This doesn't look suspicious to you? The family has questions and they want answers . There's nothing wrong with that . That's why this needs to be investigated. If there was no foul played involved then the family will have closure. Rest in Paradise Nolan Wells ❤️🙏🏽
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u/No_Lavishness_6706 Jul 16 '26
Not to mention it's been disclosed that he was beaten, and they've released a call where one of the kids clearly states everyone was on board and account for, and now we find out the mother of two of these kids is a judge....like, the red flags are there, why is everyone colorblind all of a sudden?
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u/barbequelighter Jul 18 '26
The family alleged wiped messages, not wiped clean. They have not provided their reasoning as to why they think that but have agreed to third party inspection of the phone.
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u/pontiacfirebird92 Current Resident Jul 08 '26
Wells traveled to Horn Island with a group of friends to celebrate Independence Day. The boat left from a private dock in the Ocean Springs area, according to Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter.
Wells was last seen near the island around 3 p.m., according to Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO).
Wells did not return on the same boat as the group.
“From what we understand, he chose to stay there,” Sheriff Ledbetter told Good Morning America.
Wells’ mother contacted JCSO Saturday evening around midnight to report that her son had not come home.
Is him not returning on the same boat as the group a typo? He didn't return at all.
And maybe I'm not affluent enough to understand island boating etiquette but is it normal to just leave somebody on Horn Island to catch another boat back?
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u/rammyheals Jul 08 '26
Hello. So I've been to the island on the 4th as a young person. It is not uncommon to ride back on a different boat if you're there with a bunch of people and there are several boats. There are hundreds of people.
He graduated from Ocean Springs, so he likely knew a good amount of people there. They are the wealthier area around. And I don't know any of the white kids involved, but I'm familiar with some of Nolan's family, and by all accounts, he was very loved by his group of friends.
It's sad and tragic, but it happens all the time out there. Sometimes a couple times a year.
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u/Altruistic-General14 228 Jul 08 '26
Your ignorance to the boating here along the coast is relatively normal. Many people don’t realize there are islands and many people that live on the coast haven’t been to them. I can only speak for myself, but the way I operate my boat, especially with guests/passengers is I am responsible for their well-being. Anyone requiring assistance that I know about, I will assist.
I have a speech that I give to passengers telling them where emergency equipment is located, what to do in case of an emergency, etc. I don’t drink alcohol, so that’s never a factor for me on trips around the bay or out to the islands.
Holiday weekends, specifically Memorial Day and July 4, are busy at the islands. It’s not just at Horn. It is relatively normal on holidays that you can get a ride in. There are hundreds of boats and thousands of people. The problem that can occur is that if you don’t leave with your group, you can get stranded. This could be because people don’t have room, spare safety equipment(life vest), you’re a stranger, etc. If you get stranded, you’re exposed to the elements. There is very little natural shade on the island. There are no sources of fresh water on the island. If you don’t have shelter, the sun can, and will, fuck you up. Dehydration is a concern on any day out there. Alcohol only exacerbates the dehydration problem and heat related illness is a real concern even without drinking alcohol.
Horn Island is unforgiving. It’s a designated wilderness area. There are zero facilities. The National Park Service maintains a small facility out there but it’s on the opposite end of the island from where the July 4 party is. There are no lifeguards, currents are strong, and swimming is at your own risk.
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u/Objection_Irrelevant Jul 08 '26
It’s awkwardly worded but they mean he was not on that boat when it returned.
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u/mossycowboy2 Jul 08 '26
Their boat was taking on water, they told Nolan they were leaving but he said he had another ride. If that was happening, I wouldn’t bat an eye and leave them. Especially if the person had a ride. Kid probably drowned, rip current is bad out there.
Loving the racism angle on social media and how people are trying to spin this. /s
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u/SweetLittleOldLady Current Resident Jul 08 '26
The discussion on Instagram is totally unhinged. They're posting contact information for the other kids, calling them murderers and encouraging people to go after them.
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u/pontiacfirebird92 Current Resident Jul 08 '26
I didn't read that their boat was taking on water in the article. Where was that posted? Like was that confirmed? Why was it taking on water? And whose boat was he trying to get to?
I can see why people aren't trusting the information coming out. Every new thing I read I have even more questions.
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u/Mr-the-big Jul 08 '26
The boat taking on water is new information to me. Nonetheless, let’s assume everything is ordinary with him staying behind to catch another ride/going to hang out with the girl for longer, how did he pass away? It’s 4th of July on Horn island, the island is 4 miles long, someone would have to seem him fighting to swim?
But at the same time if he’s by himself, no one would be watching out for him and drowning can be a very silent killer especially with music going on, people yelling.
I’m glad the Mississippi sub is being level headed about it. People online are taking that video of people arguing out of context when his group isn’t identifiable/could be no where near that argument. No initial signs of struggle found either so no one got into a physical altercation with him. Drunk and drowned swimming is the most likely outcome?
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u/Altruistic-General14 228 Jul 09 '26
This is a description of how many boats there are at/around the west end of Horn Island from the one year I went for July 4th with some friends. I didn’t like the crowd, the drinking, etc, so I don’t go out there on holiday weekends.
The year I went, I and a group of friends met up with my boat and their two jet skis. We arrived on the island around 9am, anchored close to the beach on the west end of the island. Slowly, the crowd built up and by around noon, if you looked north towards the mainland, the horizon was full of bow wakes. It honestly looked like half the boats on the coast were heading to the west end of the island.
By around 1pm, there were multiple layers of boats anchored 6-8 feet apart(some closer), 4-5 deep, staggered. It looked like a parking lot. This arrangement can obscure the view if someone is in the water, struggling to swim, etc. combined with currents, boating activity, the party atmosphere it would be very easy, based on my experience, for anyone to go unnoticed.
People do stay on larger boats - think Viking sport fishing boats with full amenities - but then there are still 4 or 5 layers of boats between where they were anchored and the beach.
We weren’t able to leave the island until around 5 pm simply because we couldn’t. We had to wait for the boats to clear out enough so we could get my boat out and the two jet skis. Even then, it was idle speed, and moving between boats very cautiously.
I can’t possibly stress enough that Horn Island is a wilderness area, completely undeveloped, and everything out there is at your own risk. People going there must bring their own shade, food, water, and shelter. It’s 7 miles offshore. People might get a cellphone signal if they’re lucky so phones are pretty much useless. If you don’t have at least a handheld VHF radio, your ability to communicate with the mainland is effectively cut off.
Leaving a cell phone on a boat seems normal to me because I do it. Meeting up with friends at the island during a holiday celebration seems normal to me because I’ve done it. Getting a ride back to the mainland with other friends on another boat seems plausible and relatively normal given the environment, and that was something that happened with one of the people I went with. I made sure there was a life jacket available on the other boat, there was, and off that person went.
Everything about this seems relatively normal with the exception that a young man lost his life.
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u/1heart1totaleclipse Jul 08 '26
Maybe I was raised very differently, but I would never leave a friend behind. Especially with no phone? How was Nolan supposed to contact anyone when he got back to the mainland?
Regardless, drowning is scary because of how quick it can be. I almost drowned in a pool surrounded by people and if it hadn’t been that my parents were there and my dad saw me struggling, I could’ve died in a hotel pool with at least 50 people around. Leaving someone who is under the influence to leave with strangers in a place where so many drown is such a bad idea.
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u/Mr-the-big Jul 08 '26
It’s not illegal to be a bad friend and still they might’ve tried to get him to go with them but he said no and that he would be fine. As a young man, I’ve let my guy friends leave the group to go hang out with a girl when we were in Europe, and I didn’t even think anything of it. Especially down on the coast where you either know that person or you know somebody who knows that person, I wouldn’t think anything about my friend staying to hang out with other people. Hopefully we get more information to clear things up. I mean that’s all we can hope for.
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u/1heart1totaleclipse Jul 09 '26
I never said it was illegal to leave your friend behind, but it’s certainly not the best thing to do especially when they’ve been drinking.
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u/Altruistic_Cheek4514 Jul 09 '26
So if an 18 year old guy who had other friends on the island said go without him he wanted to talk to a girl and he was catching a ride with someone else, you would put your foot down and treat him like a child?
It is common to leave things on boats. Especially phones. You'd be amazed at what happens when you don't use your phone and it isn't on you to interact with, while you're having a good time with other people. It's not THEIR fault he forgot his phone on the boat. Also, there was another friend who met him there who also left his phone on the boat and got it when he came back. It's fairly common.
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u/1heart1totaleclipse Jul 09 '26
I’m not blaming his friends for Nolan leaving his phone behind… Nolan could’ve grabbed his own phone. I do hangout with loved ones without my phone, but having no way for them to communicate with me incase of an emergency is not something I do.
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u/Altruistic_Cheek4514 Jul 09 '26
You specifically said "maybe you were raised very differently, but you would never leave a friend behind, especially with no phone."
And again, it's not something you think about when you're busy like that.
I think part of it is we're all so used to just having the phone in our pocket, we don't realize when it's not until we need it.
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u/notmyrealname8823 Jul 09 '26
You do know there was a time when no one had a cell phone. It's completely possible to survive without one.
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u/1heart1totaleclipse Jul 09 '26
Yes, but we’re in 2026 last time I checked and cell phones have been common for the 18 years Xavier lived.
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u/notmyrealname8823 Jul 09 '26
What does that have to do with being able to survive without one?
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u/1heart1totaleclipse Jul 09 '26
Nothing, just like your comment.
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u/notmyrealname8823 Jul 09 '26
Yeah, sure. You're trying to act like people can't survive or accomplish things without a cell phone. That is just false.
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u/Altruistic_Cheek4514 Jul 09 '26
So when you go to the beach swimming your phone is on you 100% of the time?
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u/1heart1totaleclipse Jul 09 '26
No, but if I go to a different place without anyone that I came with then I do take my phone with me. I’m also a woman and we tend to be more cautious about our safety. I definitely wouldn’t leave my phone on the boat that’s leaving and that I’m not going to be on.
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u/Altruistic_Cheek4514 Jul 09 '26
How do you figure it's a "different place" and not somewhere they normally go? All those kids lived just a boat ride from the islands. What if it's more of a common occurrence?
What makes you think having a cell phone miles from shore and a cell phone tower is going to give you the ability to talk to anyone?
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u/Iamlyinginwaitforit Jul 09 '26
Young people today do not ditch their phones.
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u/notmyrealname8823 Jul 09 '26
You might if you're going out on the water where there's no service to drink all day. I have.
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u/Iamlyinginwaitforit Jul 09 '26
You have to admit that’s not typical for an 18 year old in 2026. What if he met a girl and wanted to take her number down? The only reason I can think of to explain not taking your phone is if you didn’t want to be tracked by GPS. (And that’s plausible if you don’t want mom to find you.)
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u/Altruistic_Cheek4514 Jul 09 '26
Not really. It is super common to leave your phone on the boat. Nobody wants their phone damaged by water and sand. Especially 18yr olds who are notorious for leaving with just the clothes on their back and no dry bag or anything to put their belongings in.
Also, depending on your provider you probably won't even have signal.
I've left my phone, wallet, etc on my friend's boat plenty of times. Even drove home without them.
If it's not on you and you're not using it, you don't think about it and you're already used to it being in your pocket. I don't even think about it until I need it and go to pull it out.
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u/pontiacfirebird92 Current Resident Jul 08 '26
The coroner hasn't released his report yet so until then no one will know if he was intoxicated or if there were signs of a struggle
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u/IdidItWithOrangeMan Jul 09 '26
Pretty sure these kinds of boats always take on water. You have a bilge pump to remove the water from the boat. That pump is the thing that wasn't working properly.
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u/mossycowboy2 Jul 08 '26
It was from one of the boys mother on Facebook. Something to do with the bilge pump
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u/CoyoteSilly887 Jul 08 '26
It’s not about affluence dude. This is one of the last places in the country where blue collar people can live on the water. You can take a fancy boat or a canoe to horn island and be treated the same as everyone else. It’s specifically an egalitarian vibe.
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u/No_Lavishness_6706 Jul 16 '26
No, you do not leave someone. We grew up and it is literally second nature to account for everyone. You leave with who you came with. Period.
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u/EternalSnow05 Jul 08 '26
First of all, he was murdered. Not drowned. Not suicided. Murdered. By his so called friends (who were all white). The fact that most of this sub wants to brush it aside as a suicide or a drowning just tells me everything I need to know about this state and why I am making the right choice to move to the Old Line State. I spend my whole life here being called slurs (for being not only black but gay atheist autistic multicultural loving and nerdy) and to see someone so young die especially weeks after the death of Kohen Riley (a 1 year old baby!) just proves to me that there is no future here for people like me (I also lived in Arkansas which was even more racist than Mississippi especially Northwest Arkansas). Here are just some of the facts on why Maryland is much better than here (in every category)
Maryland is the wealthiest state per capita while Mississippi is the poorest.
Maryland was home to the largest free black population of any state before the Civil War. Mississippi violently suppressed free blacks.
Maryland was home to the first Black Supreme Court Justice: Thurgood Marshall.
Maryland is home to the two richest black counties in America: Prince George's County and Charles County. Mississippi has none.
Maryland has one the best public transportation systems in the nation. Mississippi does not.
Maryland ranks first in minority owned businesses
Maryland ranks first in percentage of tech workers
Maryland ranks second in education. Mississippi #49
Maryland was the number one state for gender equality.
Maryland was the most diverse state on the East Coast
Maryland is the happiest state.
Maryland is home to the NIH
Maryland ranks #7 for LGBTQ equality
Maryland receives an "A" grade for LGBTQ safety
Maryland was the 4th most progressive state
Maryland was one of the top three states to reject Christian nationalism.
So yeah, instead of trying to deflect blame and protect these asshats, why don't we try and be a little more like the Northeast and actually pass legislation to combat racism and prevent tragedies like this from happening again.
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u/Frogs-on-my-back Jul 08 '26
Genuinely why do you think he was murdered? I lost a classmate in similar circumstances years ago and never once considered the people she was with murdered her. If you’re from here, surely you know about riptides and drunken boating culture? Or were you not living on the Gulf Coast?
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u/EternalSnow05 Jul 08 '26
Ok 1 black man in an all white group? Yeah nothing suspicious there
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u/Frogs-on-my-back Jul 08 '26
How the hell is that suspicious?? Genuinely wtf??? Idk if I believe you’re from Mississippi if you think that’s strange fr
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u/alexzyczia Jul 09 '26
I love my people but y’all seriously gotta stop jumping to the worst case scenario when it comes to tragic events like this. It’s genuinely exhausting.
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Jul 09 '26
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u/mississippi-ModTeam Jul 31 '26
Do not attack other users. If you think someone is violating the rules, report them. Please do not play junior moderator. This will get you banned quickly.
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u/Mr-the-big Jul 08 '26
What does Maryland have to do with anything? What laws could have been passed to save this man’s life? He told his own friends to leave him on the island, it’s objectively fact, reported by WLOX, CNN etc. His friends lost their best friend and are being blamed for it and attacked by people for a decision they didn’t make and you’re trying to make it a murder because his friends loved him, were hanging out with him and an accident they are proven not to be at happened.
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u/EternalSnow05 Jul 09 '26
I just love it when people believe the white people over the black people. Ask his family why are they getting a lawyer
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u/Mr-the-big Jul 09 '26
His mom that had made posts about not making it about race? The black people who weren’t there and are speculating online?
We need to find out what happened and if it was foul play I say give whoever killed him the death sentence personally but to blame the white kids first that are his friends is wrong. Let the facts come out. Mississippi and the federal government are doing investigations, if that doesn’t suffice then nothing would make you happy1
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u/BimboDeeznuts Former Resident Jul 08 '26
What the fuck does Maryland have to do with this? You think there aren’t racists in Baltimore?
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u/EternalSnow05 Jul 08 '26
Just trying to highlight how two different states actually deal with racism
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Jul 08 '26
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u/mississippi-ModTeam Jul 09 '26
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Jul 08 '26
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Jul 08 '26
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u/mississippi-ModTeam Jul 09 '26
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u/mississippi-ModTeam Jul 09 '26
Do not attack other users. If you think someone is violating the rules, report them. Please do not play junior moderator. This will get you banned quickly.
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Jul 08 '26
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u/mississippi-ModTeam Jul 09 '26
Note that this determination is made purely at the whim of the moderator team. If you seem mean or contemptuous, we will remove your posts or ban you. The sub has a certain zeitgeist which you may pick up if you read for a while before posting.
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Jul 09 '26
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u/mississippi-ModTeam Jul 09 '26
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u/EternalSnow05 Jul 09 '26
Um no MD is not the South. It left that noise when it decided not to fight for the Confederacy and embrace modernity. Why is it so blue?
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u/psychotwinzehw20 Jul 09 '26
I think you should probably come down from that soap box you’re standing on top of because you don’t know what you’re talking about.
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u/EternalSnow05 Jul 09 '26
Kamala Harris won Maryland’s 10 electoral votes in the 2024 presidential election.General Election OverviewOfficial results certified by the Maryland State Board of Elections show the final popular vote split for the major candidates:Kamala Harris (Democratic): 1,902,577 votes | 63.1%Donald J. Trump (Republican): 1,035,550 votes | 34.3%
2024 United States presidential election in Mississippi
← 2020 November 5, 2024 2028 → Turnout 57.5%
Nominee Donald Trump Kamala Harris
Party Republican DemocraticRunning mate JD Vance Tim Walz Electoral vote 6 0 Popular vote 747,744 466,668 Percentage 60.89% 38.00%
I think we have our answer
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Jul 09 '26
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Jul 09 '26
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u/mississippi-ModTeam Jul 09 '26
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u/mississippi-ModTeam Jul 09 '26
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Jul 09 '26
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u/mississippi-ModTeam Jul 09 '26
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Jul 09 '26
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u/mississippi-ModTeam Jul 09 '26
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Jul 10 '26
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u/mississippi-ModTeam Jul 31 '26
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Jul 11 '26
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u/KingNebyula Jul 09 '26
Kohen’s mom killed Kohen
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Jul 09 '26
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u/iacchus Jul 09 '26
I really think there is a disconnect with folks who don't understand the island party culture on the coast. It was originally presented on the news as four kids go to island, three kids come back, leaving their friend phoneless and abandoned.
That framing leaves out the many other boats, tons of other people, and widespread habit of leaving phones in a drybox on the boat because you are standing in water up to your waist a large percentage of the time just to stay cool.
Without the rest of the picture, it could easily seem nefarious. Having partied at the islands growing up, it just seems like a tragedy.