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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I wonder if Gary had only recently acquired the boat? Even a birthday present? That could explain the rush to get in the water, why the engine broke down (apparently), and the lights not working (no battery). Maybe they had never been boating before, maybe they literally knew nothing about it. But if only they had put on the life jackets. :(
 
Knox said:
Jocelyn's Facebook Page - Log into Facebook
Gary's Facebook Page - Gary L. Jones
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It’s interesting that for an engaged couple, they don’t feature at all on each other’s social media. I just think that certainly when my husband and I were dating and newly engaged, we had lots of photos of us (not so much anymore, nearly 2 decades later, now that we’re just used to always being stuck with each other, novelty has worn off 😂).
 
starlightstarbright said:
It’s interesting that for an engaged couple, they don’t feature at all on each other’s social media. I just think that certainly when my husband and I were dating and newly engaged, we had lots of photos of us (not so much anymore, nearly 2 decades later, now that we’re just used to always being stuck with each other, novelty has worn off 😂).
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I wondered about that also, but neither were prolific posters. Most of what you see on both pages relate to their careers, so maybe they kept private things private. That makes sense to me given thier occupations.
 
“This may be an unfortunate situation where nature will have to take its course,” Sills said, adding that based on all circumstances, he still believes Jones is in the lake and will surface in time, as is common in most drowning cases.

“The biggest problem, okay, is we don’t know where he went in,” Sills explained.

Phone records obtained through search warrants indicate that the couple’s devices stopped transmitting signals in the same general area where their boat was first spotted empty and idling in circles on Feb. 8.

“Where the boat was initially reported seen corresponds in the general area where phone records were showing us where the phones quit working,” Sills said.

www.11alive.com

DNR details extensive resources used in 22-day search for Gary Jones before suspension

After 22 days, Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills made the difficult decision to suspend daily search operations for Jones.
www.11alive.com www.11alive.com
 
Knox said:
“This may be an unfortunate situation where nature will have to take its course,” Sills said, adding that based on all circumstances, he still believes Jones is in the lake and will surface in time, as is common in most drowning cases.

“The biggest problem, okay, is we don’t know where he went in,” Sills explained.

Phone records obtained through search warrants indicate that the couple’s devices stopped transmitting signals in the same general area where their boat was first spotted empty and idling in circles on Feb. 8.

“Where the boat was initially reported seen corresponds in the general area where phone records were showing us where the phones quit working,” Sills said.

www.11alive.com

DNR details extensive resources used in 22-day search for Gary Jones before suspension

After 22 days, Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills made the difficult decision to suspend daily search operations for Jones.
www.11alive.com www.11alive.com
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I would think he went in the same spot of course as his fiance. Something occurred that boosted them both over, a trip perhaps, or he went in after her or vice versa to attempt to save.
 
"The general consensus now is that Mr. Jones' body is probably out there in the deepest part of the lake and it's at least 70 foot there," Sills said.

Sills said he's confident that Jones's body is in the lake, and it's not a runaway persons case.

"Yeah that's possible. That is possible because anything is possible in a case like this ... based on the evidence: the boat circling, his shoes were not tied ... all of that lends us to believe that he's in the lake," Sills said.

www.13wmaz.com

Why Putnam County is calling off daily searches for a missing boater on Lake Oconee

Sheriff Sills said if temperatures keep increasing to a reasonable point, they'll resume the search with cadaver dogs
www.13wmaz.com www.13wmaz.com

Count how many times "Sills said" lol - :D
 
keek said:
It is all so odd, I think it was said that it was NOT that warm, going out a ways in such a small kind of boat, no life vest on and soon to be dusk. His wallet sitting on the boat seat. It seems that the boat did not really tip enough to toss the wallet about and I read the cake was also just fine. Just going by what I read here from wherever the sources are, news. Understand that they purposely went there with the boat for the water, the place they were staying, a getaway it was to be. Hard to figure how it happened to me, with the intact things inside the boat, unless she stood up and over she went quickly without disturbance. So far both of them. I read that the police noted that his shoelaces were not tied to begin with, maybe to hold them in his hands while he pushed the boat out, so did not tie them. Had them also sitting inside the boat and THEY managed to fly out but not the wallet and other things. Just a haste to get into the boat, the water once they got there before dark started. A terrible thing.
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Yes that's a good point. Both of them were apparently thrown out by some major violent force of the boat moving around, but their cake and their wallet etc was sitting there just fine, neatly in a row. That doesn't add up.

And second of all, if they were both not thrown out, then one of them fell out. And then the other one fell in too, when they tried to get the first person out of the water. But if one of them fell out, then the first thing the other person would do, would be to stop the boat. Because you can't pull the other person out of the water, when your boat is still moving. 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.

So either way, it doesn't really make sense.
 
concernedcitizen706 said:
Yes that's a good point. Both of them were apparently thrown out by some major violent force of the boat moving around, but their cake and their wallet etc was sitting there just fine, neatly in a row. That doesn't add up.

And second of all, if they were both not thrown out, then one of them fell out. And then the other one fell in too, when they tried to get the first person out of the water. But if one of them fell out, then the first thing the other person would do, would be to stop the boat. Because you can't pull the other person out of the water, when your boat is still moving. 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.

So either way, it doesn't really make sense.
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It's said that it looked like the boat owner was working on something of the engine or motor, as something was undone. To me, whatever happened, happened after that, like maybe the boat DID start up again (if it had stalled) and that is when they were thrown over. Same time, or he may of been thrown over if standing at that time and she went in after him, tried to, but the boat was out of control by then and she couldn't get to it to hold on at the very least. Not necessarily out of control, but moving. His shoes though...not the other items. I wonder if the cake and wallet WERE really neatly placed. Sometimes info gets confused between people who then report on it. I would want to hear from the person that actually saw the boat and how it looked inside when found. I don't think that kind of boat uses an anchor, you just turn on the motor or off. She may of helped push it out into the water or gotten her feet in the water before getting inside it to sit down. Don't know about her shoes or sandals, on or off at the time. She may of gotten in and sat down while he finished getting it unhooked and into the water to get going out, while on dry land. He would of taken off his shoes to not get them wet of course. The thing is, his shoes floated to shore, but the rest stayed intact, that we are told. He may of put them back on once in the boat and if still untied, would of perhaps come off in the water.
The WORST is that no lifesaver vests on out in that water. IT was cold water so still may not of survived, but might of given them a chance to reach that boat if it was stationary after he got it started up again, which was then going to be taking off though, and appears, without them in it.
 
keek said:
It's said that it looked like the boat owner was working on something of the engine or motor, as something was undone. To me, whatever happened, happened after that, like maybe the boat DID start up again (if it had stalled) and that is when they were thrown over. Same time, or he may of been thrown over if standing at that time and she went in after him, tried to, but the boat was out of control by then and she couldn't get to it to hold on at the very least. Not necessarily out of control, but moving. His shoes though...not the other items. I wonder if the cake and wallet WERE really neatly placed. Sometimes info gets confused between people who then report on it. I would want to hear from the person that actually saw the boat and how it looked inside when found. I don't think that kind of boat uses an anchor, you just turn on the motor or off. She may of helped push it out into the water or gotten her feet in the water before getting inside it to sit down. Don't know about her shoes or sandals, on or off at the time. She may of gotten in and sat down while he finished getting it unhooked and into the water to get going out, while on dry land. He would of taken off his shoes to not get them wet of course. The thing is, his shoes floated to shore, but the rest stayed intact, that we are told. He may of put them back on once in the boat and if still untied, would of perhaps come off in the water.
The WORST is that no lifesaver vests on out in that water. IT was cold water so still may not of survived, but might of given them a chance to reach that boat if it was stationary after he got it started up again, which was then going to be taking off though, and appears, without them in it.
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I forgot she had her phone in her hand, so she would not of gone in after him holding that. It makes it seem extremely sudden that she was thrown overboard once the boat started up again, IF it was stalled then fixed and started on it's own. More investigation into that motor might explain that situation if stalled, then restarted, but.
 
The reports linked upthread said the motor cowling had been removed. The only reason to do this while out on the water would be because you were having motor trouble. So, the thought that the motor suddenly went into gear and they were thrown out is a definite possibility.

@concernedcitizen706 When in open water stopping a boat could be done a couple of ways without deploying an anchor. The first, if there is no immediate need to stop, is to simply put the motor in neutral. The boat will slow down and eventually stop. If there is an immediate need to stop, you shift the motor out of forward and into reverse. By accelerating the motor in reverse will stop the boat pretty darn quickly.

ETA, the motor cowling is the cover over the top of the motor.
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www.ajc.com

Spelman instructor took photos before phone stopped transmitting on Lake Oconee

Investigators believe Spelman College instructor Joycelyn Wilson snapped several photos as she and her fiancé Gary Jones went on a boat ride in Lake Oconee last month, with the last picture being taken just one minute before the couple’s phones both stopped transmitting.
www.ajc.com www.ajc.com

This article states that she took a photo just one minute before both of their phones stopped working. Her last picture was taken at 4:59 p.m., and his last phone ping was updated to 5:01 p.m. The time they were found, 5:24 p.m., remained unchanged. Whatever happened occurred between 4:59 p.m. and 5:24 p.m.

I keep thinking—how do you go from taking pictures at 4:59 to missing and underwater by 5:24? I know drowning can happen quickly, but still. If someone drowns, do they immediately sink? And if she did sink right away, how was there only a small amount of water in her lungs? If you're fully submerged, wouldn’t your lungs fill up? I’m trying to make it make sense.
 
Jocelyn’s phone being found in her hand has been discussed but I want to add that if I were falling from a boat i would drop my phone. I think it would be a reflex, i would be trying to stop my fall and then trying to swim. If she was knocked out before falling I wonder if she would naturally let go of her phone.
 
K.jill said:
Jocelyn’s phone being found in her hand has been discussed but I want to add that if I were falling from a boat i would drop my phone. I think it would be a reflex, i would be trying to stop my fall and then trying to swim. If she was knocked out before falling I wonder if she would naturally let go of her phone.
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That's a good question about letting go of the phone.

I don't know if this will provide any insight but here's a cold water experience I had many years ago when I was a teenager. Some friends and I were staying at one of their family's lake house in the winter, water temperature was probably around 39-40F (granted this is colder water than the subject of this thread). We decided to do something really dumb for "fun" (I won't share details here but if you want to know, you can DM me here) and I ended up falling into the water. My breath was instantly taken away and I was basically paralyzed from the cold (luckily I had a life vest on). I vaguely remember my fists being clenched when my friends pulled me back in the boat. So, maybe(?) it's normal to clench up like that when falling into cold water.
 
STLBlues said:
The reports linked upthread said the motor cowling had been removed. The only reason to do this while out on the water would be because you were having motor trouble. So, the thought that the motor suddenly went into gear and they were thrown out is a definite possibility.

@concernedcitizen706 When in open water stopping a boat could be done a couple of ways without deploying an anchor. The first, if there is no immediate need to stop, is to simply put the motor in neutral. The boat will slow down and eventually stop. If there is an immediate need to stop, you shift the motor out of forward and into reverse. By accelerating the motor in reverse will stop the boat pretty darn quickly.

ETA, the motor cowling is the cover over the top of the motor.
View attachment 568072
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Okay thanks on the info for stopping a boat. Do you need to take that engine covering off to do some fast stopping of the boat?
 
concernedcitizen706 said:
Okay thanks on the info for stopping a boat. Do you need to take that engine covering off to do some fast stopping of the boat?
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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.
1741198580616.webp
1741198587784.webp

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.

concernedcitizen706 said:
Also if you have engine trouble and you're working on the engine, why would you be taking pictures right at that time. It seems like you would be more worried about the engine.
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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.
 
STLBlues said:
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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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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