Nolan Wells was remembered by coaches as the kind of son, teammate, friend, and student every program hopes to have. Before the tragedy on Horn Island, he had built a reputation as a humble young athlete who led by example. | Source: Facebook/Christine Wonsley
His friends described him as kind, easy-going, and someone who could calm tense moments. If an argument broke out when they were younger, they said Wells was the person likely to break it up.
One friend called him “a great role model,” while another said, “He could spark up a whole room.” That image of Wells — warm, steady, and smiling — is part of what has made the story so painful for the people who knew him.
Several of the young men at the dock had grown up playing sports with Wells in Ocean Springs. Football, basketball, baseball — they played it all together before he went on to become a wide receiver for the Southwest Community College Bears.
Doris Hands, whom the childhood friends called “Mama D,” said Wells always gave her a hug and minded his manners. “He was a good person,” she said, describing him as someone who “loved sports” and was “kind-hearted.”
Wells would have celebrated his 19th birthday in August. “It really, really hurts,” Hands said, adding that after the first day with no contact, she feared the worst.
One of the most heartbreaking accounts came from Wells’ best friend, 17-year-old Jayvon Williams. He said he was supposed to be on the same boat as Wells, but it filled up, so Williams rode out to Horn Island on another boat.
Williams saw Wells on the island and believes he saw him for the last time after 4 p.m. Saturday. Wells had visited with a girl and also chatted with other friends in the crowd. Then Wells said something that now feels almost impossible to read without getting chills. “As soon as we got out there,” Williams said, “he told me that he loved me.”
Wells always had his back. If anyone talked badly about Williams, Wells stuck up for him. Both young men had left their phones on the boat that Wells rode out on. Williams later retrieved his phone, while Hands said Wells’ mother found her son’s phone through location services.
Wells was last seen near the western tip of Horn Island, where the current is strong. His friends also said he knew how to swim and had even taken lessons at the YMCA in Ocean Springs, a detail that only deepened the heartbreak and confusion.
Another friend, Trace Carter, spoke to Wells before the island trip, and their exchange has become another painful part of the story. Carter told him, “Just hit me up when you get back. Just be careful, bro. Watch out for yourself.” Wells responded, “I got you. I’ll hit you up later.”
That simple promise now carries a terrible sadness. What sounded like an ordinary goodbye between friends became one of Wells’ final known conversations.
After Wells’ death, his former high school and college released statements honoring him. He had played football at Ocean Springs High School and Southwest Mississippi Community College.
Ocean Springs Head Football Coach Jake Bramlett said, “We are devastated by Nolan’s passing.” He described Wells as “the kind of son, teammate, friend and student that every coach hopes to have in a program.”
Bramlett also highlighted that Wells was much more than an outstanding football player, as he carried himself with humility, treated others with respect, worked hard, led by example, and was deeply loved by his teammates and coaches.
