Nolan Xavier Wells, an 18-year-old student athlete, has died after going missing during a July 4 boating trip off the coast of Mississippi. His mother, Christine Wonsley, shared photographs of her son celebrating on a boat with friends just hours before he disappeared, drawing wider attention to a story that has resonated as a sudden and tragic loss of a young man remembered for his kindness.

Wells was last seen at around 3pm near the north-west tip of Horn Island, and it was unclear whether he made it back to land. His mother reported him missing early on Sunday morning, prompting a two-day multi-agency search. On Monday morning, a park ranger found a body on the north-west end of the island; Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said there was "no reason to believe it is not him", and Wonsley confirmed her son's death that afternoon on social media. The coroner is working to formally identify Wells through DNA testing, and his cause and manner of death have not yet been released, with no indication so far as to whether foul play is suspected.