GA -- 2 teachers missing after boat outing. Body of Joycelyn Wilson found, Gary Jones still missing. Lake Oconee. 08 Feb. 2025

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concernedcitizen706 said:
So I don't know how you specifically stop a boat, I guess turn off the engine, and I don't know if you use an anchor. But apparently the boat's engine was still on. So that also does not add up.
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RSBM
It looks like they were in the middle of the lake, where it is about 70 ft deep. Would a small boat have an anchor that could reach that far down?
 
vls12345 said:
Rsbm.

If he was working on the motor, I could see them taking a photo to text to a mechanical friend to ask their opinion about something that might not look right/look like it needs repair. Imo.
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Or sending a pic to her sister, Mom or friend - sort of a "great, it's almost dark and look what happened" kind of text.
 
Kemug said:
RSBM
It looks like they were in the middle of the lake, where it is about 70 ft deep. Would a small boat have an anchor that could reach that far down?
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Asked my husband about the anchor, etc. We have a 25 foot boat which we use in the sound and in the ocean (Atlantic Coast) -- we don't go very far out. The anchor is about 60 feet long. We always have our life jackets, but we don't go out if it is rough weather.
Their lake boating, from what I can tell, does not sound very well thought out, but I don't know anything about the body of water in which they were boating, so please forgive if I have misunderstood what happened on that day.
Hoping that there is some good news soon. SMH.
 
Just now developing so expect updated reporting.

March 9, 2025

PUTNAM COUNTY, Ga. - FOX 5 Atlanta is hearing reports that the body of Atlanta educator, Gary Jones, has been found on Lake Oconee.

www.fox5atlanta.com

Body of missing Atlanta teacher, coach found in Lake Oconee

FOX 5 Atlanta is hearing reports that the body of Atlanta educator, Gary Jones, has been found on Lake Oconee.
www.fox5atlanta.com www.fox5atlanta.com
 
STLBlues said:
You're welcome. No, you do not need to remove the cowling to stop a boat at any time, for any reason.

IMO/IME unless there were problems with the motor, there is no reason at all to remove the cowling while out on the water. The most common reasons to remove the cowling would be for maintenance (oil change, lubrication, winterizing, etc.) or to make repairs. Both maintenance and repairs are typically done either in a dock slip or by putting the boat on a trailer and pulling it out of the water to work on it on dry land.

I've been legally piloting boats for 45 years and have never once had a need to remove the cowling while out on the water. Now, if their motor broke down while out on the lake and (1) they didn't have tow insurance and (2) there were no other boaters within sight to offer a tow, I can see a mechanically inclined boater removing the cowling to try to make repairs. IME, boaters are a fairly generous community. I cannot tell you how many times I've towed a total stranger's boat back to their dock or a marina.

Another thing to note is that boat motors have a kill switch. These are a switch on the motor you attach one end of a lanyard to and then attach the other end of the lanyard to the person piloting the boat. If the pilot gets too far from the motor or is thrown out, the lanyard is pulled out of the kill switch and the motor shuts down. In fact, you cannot start the motor without the kill switch in the Run position (see first picture). However, speaking from experience, it's very possible to connect the lanyard ONLY to the kill switch OR to not insert the lanyard at all and simply use your finger to flip the kill switch to the Run position.
View attachment 568404View attachment 568405
Note in the above picture how one end of the lanyard is connected to the stern of the boat and not the pilot, since the kill switch is in the run position, the motor would start.


This is also perplexing. As stated above, IME/IMO the only reason for them to have removed the cowling is if they were having problems with the motor. The only explanation I can thing of is *maybe* JW was taking pictures of GJ working on the motor for social media or something like that.
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Thanks for the info on boating. The pictures were helpful.

And I just heard that the body of Gary was found. I'm glad the question is answered about that.
 
vls12345 said:
www.atlantanewsfirst.com

Body of missing teacher found in Lake Oconee, Putnam County sheriff says

Jones went missing along with his fiancé, Spelman College professor Joycelyn Wilson, in Lake Oconee on Feb. 8.
www.atlantanewsfirst.com www.atlantanewsfirst.com
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It certainly sounded like he was a good and amazing young man -- what a loss to those who loved him, and a loss of a good teacher. SMH.
Condolences to those who loved him, his friends, and to the folks whom he taught as well.
A sad, sad loss for many folks.
 
Kemug said:
RSBM
It looks like they were in the middle of the lake, where it is about 70 ft deep. Would a small boat have an anchor that could reach that far down?
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Maybe, maybe not. Our boat is 18', we have an anchor with about 100' of anchor line. Our primary boating is done on the Mississippi River in St. Charles County and Lincoln County, MO. The average depth of the river there is 9-12' but, there are spots that are up to 20' deep. Several times a year we take the boat to the Lake of the Ozarks which has an average depth of 70' and some areas that are 100' - 130' deep.

Glad to hear GJ was found, my condolences to his loved ones.
 
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