The reason for the de@th of a couple found tragically drowned in the lake was discovered.
Joycelyn Nicole Wilson and Gary Jones and Gary Jones, who had been celebrating Jones’s birthday celebration, were discovered to be de@d at Lake Oconee, Georgia, after their boat was found floating in the water without a paddle the 8th of February as reported by Fox 5 Atlanta.
Joycelyn the 49-year-old teacher in Spelman College, and Gary the local private school’s athletics coach shared their love story several years ago, after they had started dating in the course of their studies at Clark Atlanta University and become engaged after reuniting.
Wilson began her teaching career in the math department at Spelman College in 2007 and she was lastly an instructor in the department of math. Prior to joining Spelman she worked in the math department at Howard University and American University in Washington, D.C.
Jones was a teacher for a long time for a long time at Westminster Schools, which serves students from pre-first to 12th grade. He joined the school in 2002, according to a spokesperson who said to USA TODAY.
He was an instructor in middle school science and was the director for the track & field team and also as the head coach for the Westminster 8th grade boys basketball team.
The 12-foot vessel was found floating near Wallace Dam; its hull was later was discovered to be damaged after hitting the dock.
The thing that makes this case extremely poignant is the fact that police discovered Wilson holding a phone in her hands.
According to ABC affiliate WSB-TV the device contained at least seven images that were taken in the crucial window before the tragedy.
Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills stated to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on March 4 that the pictures were taken “obviously” after the couple arrived at the hotel they stayed in on Feb. 8, but “before the incident” on Lake Oconee.
The last photo’s time stamp read 4:59PM. After that the phone went silent and investigators were left with no clues on what happened afterward, Sills said. “We don’t know what happened after that,” he said.
In the meantime, Jones’s cell phone made its last call at 5:01pm that day. Just a few minutes later, the authorities received information about the boat that was abandoned.
Authorities uncovered Joycelyn’s b0dy the 9th of February about one mile from the boat’s river channel, as per the PEOPLE.
A few days later the 10th of February, divers discovered Gary’s shoes, which were located about 15 feet from the shoreline, signifying the urgent need for an extensive investigation.
Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills expressed his appreciation for the extraordinary participation of the community: I haven’t ever seen the extent of use made by civilian and military personnel as well as resources in an event such that of Lakes Oconee and Sinclair in the last 40 years.
He also expressed his appreciation for the generosity of volunteers: I wish to say a big thank you to the numerous businesses and individuals who kindly provided refreshments and food for all. It was a great experience and makes me feel very happy for our community.
After more than a month intense searching, Gary’s corpse was found on the 9th, as reported by CBS News.
Official medical examiner’s report has since confirmed that Wilson and Jones passed away from drowning accidents.