Missing Atlanta teacher found deceased in Georgia lake

ATLANTA — Authorities have located the remains of an Atlanta-based teacher and coach who disappeared in February while boating on Lake Oconee, Georgia. The teacher, Gary Jones, was located on Sunday in a depth of approximately 45 feet of water, not far from where he and his fiancée had embarked on their outing, according to Sheriff Howard Sills of Putnam County. This location is close to where the body of Jones’ fiancée, Joycelyn Wilson, a Spelman College instructor, was discovered a day after they both went missing on February 8.
The search and subsequent discovery were aided by Keith Cormican, a search-and-recovery specialist from Wisconsin, who was retained by Jones’ family. Employing advanced underwater sonar technology, Cormican successfully located Jones’ body, the sheriff noted. Their disappearance had initiated a search involving a variety of resources, including underwater sonar and cadaver dogs, at Lake Oconee.
Gary Jones, a beloved teacher and track and field coach at the Westminster Schools, a prestigious Atlanta private institution, vanished the same day his fiancée’s body was located. The empty boat belonging to the couple was initially found adrift, leading to an exhaustive search for Jones.
Authorities provided video evidence showing the couple launching their small boat from a marina, and reportedly, they had been residing in a lakeside hotel approximately 85 miles southeast of Atlanta. Sheriff Howard Sills mentioned that the body was recovered around 3 miles northwest of a dam which separates Lake Oconee from Lake Sinclair.
This particular area of Lake Oconee, created nearly half a century ago, still contains submerged timber from when the Oconee River basin was flooded. Search efforts had previously extended to significant depths, employing various methods, including private boats and helicopters, to cover the extensive waterbody.