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

[vls12345]

Search teams say they’re getting close to finding missing teacher who vanished in Lake Oconee

It has been 18 days since Gary Jones went boating on Lake Oconee and never came back.

www.wsbtv.com

 

[STLBlues]

Search teams say they’re getting close to finding missing teacher who vanished in Lake Oconee

It has been 18 days since Gary Jones went boating on Lake Oconee and never came back.

www.wsbtv.com

From this article, "Smith believes that if you don’t know Lake Oconee well, you don’t understand that you need to stay far away from the buoys." I'm not personally familiar with this lake but, this makes me think there are shallow and/or areas with submerged trees (again per the article) that are marked as not safe for boating. The lakes I've historically boated on do not have buoys. But, the Mississippi River does have buoys (green on the Missouri side and red on the Illinois side) marking the channel. Any locals with insight on why there are buoys in place in this lake?

I'm wondering if the area the boat was in was one of these areas not marked safe for boating? Maybe they hit a submerged tree and were thrown from the boat.

 

[GeorgiaPeach1]

From this article, "Smith believes that if you don’t know Lake Oconee well, you don’t understand that you need to stay far away from the buoys." I'm not personally familiar with this lake but, this makes me think there are shallow and/or areas with submerged trees (again per the article) that are marked as not safe for boating. The lakes I've historically boated on do not have buoys. But, the Mississippi River does have buoys (green on the Missouri side and red on the Illinois side) marking the channel. Any locals with insight on why there are buoys in place in this lake?

I'm wondering if the area the boat was in was one of these areas not marked safe for boating? Maybe they hit a submerged tree and were thrown from the boat.

From what I understand, there are a lot of standing timber trees in that area. Some are visible above the water, while others are just below the surface and hidden from view. The lake in that spot is over 80 feet deep.

 

[STLBlues]

From what I understand, there are a lot of standing timber trees in that area. Some are visible above the water, while others are just below the surface and hidden from view. The lake in that spot is over 80 feet deep.

Thank you for the local insight.

 

[vls12345]

CeeLo Green says Spelman professor who died at Lake Oconee was his childhood friend

"Practically one of three additional sisters I have."

www.wsbtv.com

 

[vls12345]

‘It’s gonna be zero visibility:’ Divers to search Lake Oconee for missing teacher

Divers hope to rule out some parts of the lake and make the search area smaller.

www.wsbtv.com

 

[concernedcitizen706]

A couple things I noted on things I saw in the media recently.

I saw a picture of the type boat they had. It was very small with short sides. I'm thinking the sides were just like a foot above the water. So I'm thinking it should be relatively easy to get back on to that boat if you fall in. For two fit people. Although I guess if the woman fell in, and the guy was being overconfident and stood in the boat to try and pull her up, he could have fallen in too. Although as he was an athlete, you would think he would be skilled at getting her on the boat without falling in.

I saw two different facts in one video. At one point, they said the boat was idling around the lake. And at another point, they said the boat was found on the shore with the engine turned off. I don't know which one it was. I think if one person fell in, the other person would go back to the victim, and then turn the engine 'off'. And I don't know if those boats have anchors too. To try and help get that person back on the boat. You can't help somebody get back in the boat, while the boat is idling around the lake. So that's a very significant fact on whether the engine was off or on, which one was it.

The other thing I saw was some articles about how even moderately cold water can drown you in a second. Even water at 50° f. Because your body is shocked when you encounter the cold water. And you lose your ability to move your limbs well. And you can start drowning instantly. And even if that doesn't happen, it really doesn't take long to drown from hypothermia from that temperature. So if they fell in, they were probably in trouble very quickly. After reading about all that, I think to be safe, in my personal opinion, you shouldn't go boating in cold weather.

 

[concernedcitizen706]

This is a great point. In another article, the sheriff said some part of the motor was opened. So perhaps, it stalled and Gary was trying to fix it and it started suddenly and threw them both out of the boat. Just one of my opinions...that would fit with my "sudden & intense" theory. But, I agree...they shouldn't have been that far out on that tiny boat. I'm not a fan of the water so there's no way I would've been out in deep water in that.

How hard is it to climb back onto the side of a small boat? And if you want to stay in place in a small boat like that, do you have to turn the engine off? Do you put down an anchor?

 

[concernedcitizen706]

I can’t imagine going that far out and away into the lake in that little boat on a winter evening. They are so flimsy and not that much fun for taking a ride long distances.

But experience is hard won sometimes.

Many years ago my husband and I went out in a metal john boat on the main channel of the TN River. It stalled. As he was trying to restart it repeatedly it started with a surge. The jolt threw him out of the boat and sent me in the boat, gripping the sides, in a circle headed right back towards his bobbing head. Somehow it missed him and stalled again then even in jeans and construction boots he got to the boat. Then it really wouldn’t start and we were stuck in the middle of the river in nowhere Alabama in the main lane of travel for barges.

Fortunately there was a single paddle and eventually we made it back to the dock ok.

If cell phones had been invented my fingers would have had a death grip on it too.


all imo

Actually I should have replied to you on this. I have a few questions since you seem to know about boats.

How hard is it to climb back onto the side of a small boat? And if you want to stay in place in a small boat like that, do you have to turn the engine off? Do you put down an anchor?

 

[iamshadow21]

A couple things I noted on things I saw in the media recently.

I saw a picture of the type boat they had. It was very small with short sides. I'm thinking the sides were just like a foot above the water. So I'm thinking it should be relatively easy to get back on to that boat if you fall in. For two fit people. Although I guess if the woman fell in, and the guy was being overconfident and stood in the boat to try and pull her up, he could have fallen in too. Although as he was an athlete, you would think he would be skilled at getting her on the boat without falling in.

I saw two different facts in one video. At one point, they said the boat was idling around the lake. And at another point, they said the boat was found on the shore with the engine turned off. I don't know which one it was. I think if one person fell in, the other person would go back to the victim, and then turn the engine 'off'. And I don't know if those boats have anchors too. To try and help get that person back on the boat. You can't help somebody get back in the boat, while the boat is idling around the lake. So that's a very significant fact on whether the engine was off or on, which one was it.

The other thing I saw was some articles about how even moderately cold water can drown you in a second. Even water at 50° f. Because your body is shocked when you encounter the cold water. And you lose your ability to move your limbs well. And you can start drowning instantly. And even if that doesn't happen, it really doesn't take long to drown from hypothermia from that temperature. So if they fell in, they were probably in trouble very quickly. After reading about all that, I think to be safe, in my personal opinion, you shouldn't go boating in cold weather.

It's not easy to climb back into a boat if you're not able to touch the bottom. It's actually very easy to drown trying.

Just look at the tragic death of Naya Rivera.

MOO

 

[Oliverleo]

thanks for your expertise and experience
is it typical for boaters to not wear the lifevests?

appreciated

 

[concernedcitizen706]

In the article, the sheriff mentioned that the boat had lights, but they didn’t work because there was no battery. It also says the empty boat was spotted at 5:24 PM—just 18 minutes after Gary’s phone last pinged at 5:06 PM. That got me thinking—can a phone ping underwater?
His phone was working at 5:06 PM, and by 5:24 PM, both of them—and his phone—were completely gone. I thought about the possibility of foul play, but it seems unlikely that he could have disappeared for this long without help from someone. That said, we can’t ignore the fact that the search was delayed for a day because of bad weather. If something shady did happen and he’s not actually in the lake, that lost time would have given him a whole day to get away.
Then there’s the boat—there was no damage, which makes me doubt they hit something that threw them into the water. If the force had been that strong, you’d think more stuff from the boat would have ended up in the water too.

But the part that really sticks with me is that she was still gripping her phone. That makes me feel like whatever happened was sudden and intense—not a slow loss of consciousness.

Lost on Oconee: A boat empty, a woman dead, a man missing, few answers

On Georgia's Lake Oconee, the mystery builds after woman found floating, dead, and her fiance can't be found after boat trip.

www.ajc.com

Interesting about the man's phone pinging at 5.06. Did they say when the woman's phone last pinged? I doubt they were recreating on the lake until 5:00. Because it's getting kind of dusky at that time. They probably should have been a heading in by about 4:30 at the latest.

 

[concernedcitizen706]

RSBM - I must have previously missed the time of day they launched and this brings up an interesting question. Was their boat equipped with navigation lights? If not, I wonder how long they were planning on being out on the water? If they were going to be out after dark, Georgia law requires the use of navigation lights.

From the link to Georgia law:
All motorized Class A, Class 1, and Class 2 vessels being operated during the hours of darkness or low visibility shall display either a 20 point combination red and green light on the bow, or else ten-point red and green side lights properly screened and visible for a distance of at least one mile, plus a 20 point white light displayed in the fore part of the vessel and visible for a distance of three miles displayed three feet above the combination or side lights, plus a 12 point white stern light visible for a distance of at least two miles.

Their boat would be considered a Class A boat as it is under 16'.
Class A - Under 16'
Class 1 - 16' to <26'
Class 2 - 26' to <40'

Well the boat was found at a distance, but we don't know if they traveled that distance right? The boat could have drifted for a while. I don't know how fast a small boat goes. But let's say it goes as fast as somebody jogs. That's like 10 miles an hour. Someone above said, sunset that day was at 6:16. So they get in the boat at 3:30, they can boat one way for an hour till 4:30, and let's guess that's about 10 miles, and then come back by 5:30. And make it back with good time before sunset. I bet that was close to the plan.

The boat was found 7 mi away. Well that kind of makes sense according to my theory. They were probably already on their way back, after the midway point at 4:30. And the boat was found closer to 5:30. So according to my 10 mile theory, if they were 7 mi away, and 4:30 was the midpoint, that's like 3/10, whatever happened to them probably happened around 4:50. His phone last pinged at 5:06. That's pretty close.

 

[concernedcitizen706]

It's not easy to climb back into a boat if you're not able to touch the bottom. It's actually very easy to drown trying.

Just look at the tragic death of Naya Rivera.

MOO

Yeah I could see that. Especially if the water is cold. If the water is warm, you've got a lot more leeway. You can just hang on to the side of the boat for a while.

 

[Knox]

A couple things I noted on things I saw in the media recently.

I saw a picture of the type boat they had. It was very small with short sides. I'm thinking the sides were just like a foot above the water. So I'm thinking it should be relatively easy to get back on to that boat if you fall in. For two fit people. Although I guess if the woman fell in, and the guy was being overconfident and stood in the boat to try and pull her up, he could have fallen in too. Although as he was an athlete, you would think he would be skilled at getting her on the boat without falling in.

I saw two different facts in one video. At one point, they said the boat was idling around the lake. And at another point, they said the boat was found on the shore with the engine turned off. I don't know which one it was. I think if one person fell in, the other person would go back to the victim, and then turn the engine 'off'. And I don't know if those boats have anchors too. To try and help get that person back on the boat. You can't help somebody get back in the boat, while the boat is idling around the lake. So that's a very significant fact on whether the engine was off or on, which one was it.

The other thing I saw was some articles about how even moderately cold water can drown you in a second. Even water at 50° f. Because your body is shocked when you encounter the cold water. And you lose your ability to move your limbs well. And you can start drowning instantly. And even if that doesn't happen, it really doesn't take long to drown from hypothermia from that temperature. So if they fell in, they were probably in trouble very quickly. After reading about all that, I think to be safe, in my personal opinion, you shouldn't go boating in cold weather.

The boat was initially reported as empty and circling, then later found near the shore. I think it’s safe to assume it either ran out of gas or the engine quit of its own accord - then drifted to shore.

I read most of the stories, one thing that hasn’t been mentioned oddly enough. Has anyone who knows them said whether either had boating experience or how well they swam? Maybe I missed that?

The detail about the cell phone being found still gripped in her hand after her death was very unusual. I’ve never heard that before in a drowning death.

 

[iamshadow21]

The boat was initially reported as empty and circling, then later found near the shore. I think it’s safe to assume it either ran out of gas or the engine quit of its own accord - then drifted to shore.

I read most of the stories, one thing that hasn’t been mentioned oddly enough. Has anyone who knows them said whether either had boating experience or how well they swam? Maybe I missed that?

The detail about the cell phone being found still gripped in her hand after her death was very unusual. I’ve never heard that before in a drowning death.

Yeah, I think the phone is something really weird.

Like I said earlier, makes me think she was probably already in rigor when she went in the water

MOO

 

[Knox]

Yeah, I think the phone is something really weird.

Like I said earlier, makes me think she was probably already in rigor when she went in the water

MOO

That doesn’t make sense to me, rigor within an hour?

 

[iamshadow21]

That doesn’t make sense to me, rigor within an hour?

She also had air in her lungs, not water.

 

[Knox]

She also had air in her lungs, not water.

Loosely googled this, I find misc.citations which state - Drowning without aspiration of liquid, generally attributed to death from asphyxia while submerged and in laryngospasm, has been reported to occur in approximately 10% to 15% of drowning victims.

Maybe I missed it, is there a full autopsy report?

 

[Knox]

This article is very detailed and has some information I hadn't seen.

New details revealed in missing boater search

The search for Gary Laron Jones continued Tuesday on Lake Oconee by multiple law enforcement and emergency rescue agencies.

www.msgrnews.com

Here's the timeline, directly from Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sill.

The events as they happened

• Sills explained the timeline of the events that he has confirmed using Flock cameras, security video cameras, hotel check-in reports, and witness statements:

Saturday, Feb. 8

• When the couple arrived Saturday, they went straight to the Marathon Gas Station off Greensboro Road. There at Fish Tale Marina, Jones launched his boat into the water.
• Meanwhile, Wilson drove the pickup truck with the attached boat trailer to The Lodge on Lake Oconee, where she parked the vehicle and checked them into the hotel. As she did this, Jones drove the boat from Fish Tale to The Lodge, helped Wilson load some items onto the ship, and they both went out on the lake.
• That was approximately 3:30 p.m., and a few minutes after 5 p.m., a person called 911 and reported seeing the Sun Dolphin circling in the water with the engine running. The boat was unoccupied.
• Sills said that, considering how much Jones and Wilson weigh, according to their driver's licenses, and adding the weight of the boat motor and gas tank, there were about 400 pounds on the small boat.
• Considering the motor's horsepower, he said it would have taken them more than an hour and a half to reach the point where their boat was discovered.
• “So whatever happened to them happened immediately,” Sills said.
• The caller’s 911 call went to Greene County’s Emergency 911 Service, and the dispatcher notified the Georgia DNR dispatch center in Grovetown. Two DNR game wardens arrived to secure the boat and search for its occupants.

Sunday, Feb. 9

• The following day, DNR called the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and requested a deputy go to The Lodge to pick up the couple’s belongings.
• Instead, Sills ordered the room locked and secured in case evidence was needed.
• After learning from a friend about the missing couple, Lake Oconee residents Jeff and Kristy Everett took their boat out Sunday morning to assist DNR in their search. Before he searched, Jeff phoned a family member who worked at Wallace Dam to see if water had been released Saturday evening. When he learned that water had been released, the Everetts drove their boat toward the dam to search.
• “Sure enough, I saw the body out there in the standing timber right close to Jumping Rock,” Everett told the Lake Oconee News.
• Everett’s wife notified the DNR game wardens, and Jeff helped them pull Wilson’s body from the water. Putnam County Deputy Coroner Andre Williams said Wilson’s cause of death was undetermined and took the body to the GBI state crime lab in Decatur for an autopsy.
• Sills said the autopsy revealed some air in Wilson’s lungs.
• “However, that doesn’t mean she didn’t drown; that just explains why her body floated instead of sinking to the bottom,” he said.

Monday – Tuesday, Feb. 10-11

• As word spread about the beloved high school track coach’s disappearance and unknown condition, many volunteers joined the search party. The sheriff expressed gratitude for all the assistance.
• “Quite frankly, some of those bass fishermen have electronics that are far more sophisticated than we do,” he said.
• One of the cadaver dogs brought in by what Sills described as “a reputable group,” alerted twice during the search last week in the same area where Wilson’s body was found. The next day, a cadaver dog was searching by land and had a hit on the shoreline of that area.
• The sheriff said DNR put down “some sort of robot” to search the area but found nothing.
• “The dog handler said it could have been some residual leftover from Wilson’s body there,” Sills said. “But it’s 80 feet deep there, and with the standing timber, the bottom of the lake looks like Mount St. Helens.”
• The lake’s size, which Sills described as “too broad an area to try to drag,” and the standing timbers make dragging impossible.
• “I’ve done this all my life, and lakes and rivers will give up a body when they want to,” he said.
• Sills noted that other agencies are welcome to assist in the search.

Jones’ shoes found

• At some point in the search (Sills said he wasn’t exactly sure when), Jones shoes were found by a civilian.
• “They were not found together. They were about 15 yards apart in water up against the bank,” he described. “They had no mud on them at all, so they never touched the ground.”
• Sills said that no mud was found on Jones’ shoes, which meant he had never climbed out of the water.
• “I know our lake, and I know that if I climbed out of the water and stepped onto the shore anywhere, the shoes would have mud on them,” he said. “I know because I’ve done it hundreds of times myself.”
• Sills said he was confident the shoes belonged to Jones because he found out from the game wardens that they sent a picture of the shoes to one of Jones’ brothers, Mike Jones, who identified the size 13 gray Nikes as ones that looked like what Gary wore.
• “And also, I noticed he was wearing them in the security video at the Marathon,” Sills added.

Wednesday – Monday, Feb. 12-17

• Sills announced late Wednesday evening that he had taken over the investigation with the assistance of the DNR. He said he had discussed the transition with DNR Deputy Commissioner Thomas Bernard and that it was now a “death investigation.”
• “All unattended deaths, meaning those unattended by a physician, in the State of Georgia are required by law to be investigated pursuant to Title 45,” Sills said. “As I became more aware of the circumstances and events of [Wednesday], I determined that it’s time we step in and take over this investigation.”
• He explained that he had to get search warrants to examine the inside of the boat, where Jones’ wallet was found. He is also searching their belongings for evidence that may aid in the search or explain what happened.
• He noted that the cowl of the boat’s motor was removed, which suggests that Jones had been working on it.
• “If he had the throttle wide open and all of a sudden it cranked, that thing’s going to turn, and both of them could’ve gone out of that boat just like that,” he said. “I know they can swim, but things happen to you in 48-degree water swimming, it just does. They had a long way to go on either side if they were out there in the middle like that.”