Jackson County Sheriff’s Department is searching Horn Island for Nolan Xavier Wells, an 18-year-old missing person who was last seen there wearing blue swim trunks, no shirt, and sunglasses. The department has reestablished a command post at Lake Mars Boat Launch in Ocean Springs and is asking anyone with information to call 228-769-3063.
Wells is described as a Black male, about 6 feet 1 inch tall and around 180 pounds. The sheriff’s department said investigators were recently provided with a photograph showing him at Horn Island on Saturday, adding a fixed point in the search timeline but not resolving where he went after that sighting.
Horn Island search effort
Searchers are working Horn Island with assistance from the Department of Marine Resources, the Gulf Islands National Seashore, and the United States Coast Guard. The command post at 1200 Lake Mars Avenue in Ocean Springs is the coordination point for that effort, and the department is asking anyone who saw or spoke with Wells on Horn Island to come forward if they have not already contacted law enforcement.
That photograph matters because it places Wells on Horn Island on Saturday, while the active search shows authorities are treating the island as the key location to check first. The available facts give investigators a starting point, a description, and a contact number, which is the information a witness would need to act quickly.
Lake Mars Boat Launch
The search now centers on what happened after Wells was last seen. He was wearing blue swim trunks, had no shirt and sunglasses, and the sheriff’s department is relying on the public to fill in the gap between the Saturday photograph and his current location. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department at 228-769-3063.
