Body of Missing Atlanta Educator Gary Jones Finally Found After Month-Long Search

Nationwide — The body of Gary Jones was finally recovered from Lake Oconee on Sunday, March 9th, after nearly a month of searching. Jones, who was an educator from Atlanta, Georgia, was located around 75 to 100 yards from where his fiancée, Joycelyn Wilson’s body was discovered a month earlier.

Jones and Wilson, who were planning to marry this month, had gone on a boating trip on February 8th to celebrate his 50th birthday. Their empty boat was discovered near the dam that afternoon. The next day, search teams recovered Wilson’s body along with Jones’ personal belongings, but Jones remained missing for weeks.

Sheriff Howard Sills, along with Keith Cormican of Search and Recovery Consulting, resumed the search on Sunday, March 9. Using a roving device, they located Jones’ body in about 45 feet of water. The recovery was completed by 1 p.m., according to Fox 5 Atlanta.

Since the search began, several teams, including cadaver dogs and divers, from multiple states joined the effort. The search had been suspended several times due to weather concerns, with Sheriff Sills previously saying, “It’s conceivable it could be months before this body surfaces.”

The cause of death has not yet been determined, but authorities believe it was the result of a boating accident.

Cormican, who has helped recover over 20 drowning victims through his nonprofit, Bruce’s Legacy, has spent nearly two decades training divers and utilizing sonar technology for underwater recovery efforts.