A newly released audio obtained by WLOX News in connection with the Nolan Wells case has drawn widespread public attention. Wells, along with four of his friends, traveled by boat to Horn Island, a few miles off the Mississippi Gulf Coast, to celebrate the Fourth of July.

According to The Guardian, around 300 young adults had gathered on the island for one final celebration before returning to college or work. Wells never returned from the trip. While his friends and personal belongings made it back to the mainland, his body was discovered on July 6.

The recording captures a conversation between a teenage boater on the island and the private towing company Sea Tow. Many online have focused on the teenager’s apparent difficulty in answering basic questions, including how many people were on board the vessel. 

The audio begins with indistinct background noise and hold music before the dispatcher is connected to the caller. During the conversation, the teenager says the boat is sinking and asks if it can be “unsank” and towed.

The dispatcher then attempts to relay the situation to a captain who was already speaking with the teen’s grandfather, according to Atlanta Black Star. The teen’s grandfather, who owned the boat, reportedly assured the captain that the group did not need assistance. 

Before the caller could be transferred to the captain, the call was disconnected. TMZ later identified the grandfather as Jerry Adkerson, who recently allowed investigators to search the boat and retrieve GPS data

The opening portion of the recording, which includes the background noise and hold music, has attracted significant attention online since its release. A Threads user with the handle anasellschicago claimed she could hear someone calling out to Nolan. She also said she believed the recording contained the phrases “Is he dead?” and “Oh my God” before the teenager began speaking with the Sea Tow dispatcher.

Another online personality, secretservicesam, echoed anasellschicago’s interpretation of the recording.

Wells’ friends have said he chose to stay behind on Horn Island to speak with a woman he had met. The woman, identified as 19-year-old Katie McCormack, later said she believed Wells had boarded the boat that departed with his friends. Authorities have not identified McCormack as a suspect, and reports indicate she left the island separately with her brother and his fiancée.

Disclaimer: Inquisitr could not independently confirm the facts of this incident and is reporting based on the information available.