Cliff Notes
- Gary Jones, Body of Atlanta teacher found in Georgia lake, an Atlanta teacher, a month after he and his fiancée, Joycelyn Wilson, went missing during a boating trip.
- Jones’ body was discovered approximately 75 to 100 yards from where Wilson was found, just a day after their boat was located unoccupied near a dam.
- The search involved extensive resources, including underwater sonar, aircraft, and professional divers across multiple states; family members also hired search expert Keith Cormican.
- Although the exact cause of death for Jones remains under investigation, authorities suggest he likely succumbed to a boating accident based on available evidence.
- Jones and Wilson had plans to marry shortly after their ill-fated trip during his 50th birthday celebration.
Body of Atlanta teacher found in Georgia lake
The body of Atlanta teacher was found a month after he and his fiancée went missing during a boating trip in February. According to local media outlets, Gary Jones was found in Lake Oconee on Sunday, March 9.
The educator was recovered not far from where his fiancée Joycelyn Wilson was found dead the day after they went missing on February 8. Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills confirmed that Jones’ body was found in around 45 feet of water.
Search-and-recovery expert
His family reportedly hired search-and-recovery expert Keith Cormican of Wisconsin to assist in the search. Cormican used underwater sonar in the efforts. The search for Jones, which included dogs and diving teams, faced interruptions due to weather conditions.
Jones and Wilson had been celebrating his 50th birthday at the lake at the time of their disappearance. Their boat was discovered unoccupied near the lake’s dam, and Wilson’s body was subsequently found near Jones’ belongings, including his shoes and wallet.
Cause of Jones’ death
While the cause of Jones’ death has yet to be determined, Sheriff Sills indicated that evidence currently suggests a boating accident as the probable cause.
According to local media outlets Fox 5 Atlanta and WGXA News, Gary Jones was found in Lake Oconee on Sunday, March 9.
The AP reported that the educator was recovered not far from where his fiancée Joycelyn Wilson was found dead the day after they went missing on Feb. 8.
According to the outlet, Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Jones’ body was found in around 45 feet of water.
His family reportedly hired search-and-recovery expert Keith Cormican of Wisconsin to help in the search for the teacher. Sills told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, per AP, that Cormican used an underwater sonar.
Sills and Cormican found Jones’ body around noon on Sunday, about 75 to 100 yards away from where Wilson was found. The teacher was then recovered from the water at 1 p.m. local time.
The outlet reported that Jones had been celebrating his 50th birthday with his fiancée Wilson at the lake on Feb. 8.
Boat was found unoccupied
Their boat was found unoccupied near the lake’s dam later that afternoon. Wilson’s body was then found the next day near Jones’ items, including his shoes and wallet.
In a statement on Facebook on March 3, Sills said the search for Jones, which included dogs and diving teams from multiple states, had to be suspended due to weather conditions.
“We have deployed aircraft, all available underwater technological devices, and professional divers in our efforts,” Sills said. “I cannot remember such an extensive use of government and civilian personnel and resources for an incident such as this on Lakes Oconee and Sinclair in the last 40 years.”
Jones and Wilson were reportedly planning on tying the knot this month. According to AP, they had been staying at a hotel on the lake at the time of their boat trip.
Sills told Fox 5 Atlanta that while the cause of Jones’ death has not yet been determined, he likely died after a boating accident.
“All the evidence at this time, that’s what it points to, yes,” he said.