The search for Georgia teacher Gary Jones has intensified after his fiancée was found dead in Lake Oconee close to their empty boat.
On the morning of February 8, Jones and Jocelyn Wilson set out on their small fishing boat but never returned, leaving their families and his school authorities worried.
Jones is a 50-year-old coach and science teacher at Westminster Schools.
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Investigators say he was last spotted at a Burger King prior to his decision to set sail on the lake with his fiancée at 3:30 pm.
Two hours later, their boat was seen driving in circles, yet the couple was nowhere close to it.
Concerned witnesses reached out to police when they realized there was no one onboard.
Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills told the media that the Department of Natural Resources recovered the boat and spotted Jones’ wallet on board.
Police say they also found snacks, life jackets and cake.
The couple had lounged at a nearby hotel as Jones was celebrating his 50th birthday, leading to their time together on the fishing boat.
Reports indicate that the vessel had traveled a distance of at least seven miles from where Jones and his fiancée initially set sail.
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About 24 hours after the two went missing, Wilson’s body was found. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution was then informed by Sheriff Sills that Wilson was found with her phone in hand.
The shoes Jones wore on the day were spotted nearby, yet there’s been no sign of the Georgia teacher’s body.
Investigators revealed that Jones’ phone was last pinged in the area around 5:06 pm, right before they found their boat.
‘The circumstances in this case indicate it’s not just a simple drowning,’ Sheriff Sills told reporters on Friday, adding that there were ‘peculiarities’ surrounding the couple’s disappearance.
Police say they are yet to confirm how Wilson entered the water, yet a diver with the emergency response team told the Atlanta Journal it could be that their boat probably crashed.
Though the boat the couple used didn’t suffer any extensive damage, Sheriff Sills stated that it did not have the strength to handle the waters of Lake Oconee.
‘I’m not being critical. I’m not saying that he caused this, but I’m telling you the facts of the matter. So it was a dangerous kind of situation to start with,’ Sills told the outlet.
Investigators are reportedly struggling to narrow down the search as Lake Oconee covers 19,000 acres and is currently 42 degrees Fahrenheit.
It is more than 11 days since investigations began, and the body of the Georgian teacher is still yet to be recovered.
Authorities have deemed the search for the missing Georgia teacher as a death investigation due to the evidence found and the time elapsed since he disappeared.
Multiple agencies, including the Georgia State Patrol, Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, and the United Cajun Navy, are also assisting in the search, as Jones’ family continues to hope for positive news.
Cadaver dogs were used to search the shore in hopes of tracking his scent, while sonar technology and helicopters were also adopted to help locate him.
Even former students and volunteers joined in on the search, aiming to see what could be done to rediscover his body.
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“He would have been the first one out here to look for us,” student Lauren Cherry told WAGA-TV. Jones’ family thanked the public, stating, “We will not rest until he is found.”
