As the search intensifies for Gary Jones, a Westminster Schools coach who went missing at Lake Oconee on February 8, authorities and volunteers cling to hope of finding him alive. According to FOX 5 Atlanta, Jones was last seen boating with his fiancée, Jocelyn Wilson, a Spelman College math instructor, during his 50th birthday celebration. Tragically, Wilson's body was found in the lake the day after their disappearance.
Personal items belonging to Jones have surfaced in the search, including his shoes, wallet, and driver's license. Seen celebrating his 50th birthday before they reportedly ended in the lake, the couple had checked into a local hotel and was spotted launching their boat at Fish Tale Marina, reported WHAS11. Meanwhile, volunteers, including former students and others from Westminster Schools, are aiding in the search efforts.
The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, led by Sheriff Howard Sills, is treating the case as an active death investigation. Revealed that Wilson had air in her lungs, Sills suggested that this might have caused her body to remain afloat—rather than sinking to the lake bed—a detail unfolded in a statement obtained by WHAS11. The full autopsy report, however, may take months to complete, with the cause of death still under determination.
In an unfortunate twist, evidence has been scant on how the couple ended up in the water. While Wilson's phone was retrieved still clutched in her hand, providing a poignant image of her final moments, revealing no new clues from her phone has yet come to light. The couple's boat was found idling in a circle with life jackets and other contents untouched, suggesting they were not prepared for any calamity that might have struck—WHAS11 provided this chilling detail. Further complicating the case, search teams have to contend with poor visibility and underwater conditions, which include depths of up to 80 feet and submerged trees.
According to WHAS11, Sills has invited anyone with potential footage of the lake between the relevant hours of the couple's last sighting to come forward. The United Cajun Navy is also expected to join search efforts, deploying cadaver dogs, sonar technology, dive teams, and aerial support, as this search becomes one of the largest ever conducted on Lake Oconee.
