Newly released records have revealed the movements of the boat that carried 18 year old Nolan Wells to Mississippi’s Horn Island on July 4, offering new details about the hours before the college football player disappeared in a case that has drawn nationwide attention.

Although many questions about Wells’ final moments remain unanswered, the newly obtained dispatch recordings and GPS data closely match earlier accounts shared by some of the friends who were with him that day.

Boat records match friends’ timeline

Wells traveled to Horn Island with a group of friends for an Independence Day celebration but never made it back to the mainland with them.

His mother reported him missing later that evening, prompting a large search involving multiple agencies on July 5. His body was found in the water near Horn Island the following day, July 6.

Authorities have not determined Wells’ cause of death. Both the official autopsy and an independent examination requested by his family are still pending.

One of the biggest questions in the investigation remains whether Wells voluntarily stayed behind on the island.

Friends told investigators that Wells decided to remain after meeting a young woman. His parents, Christine and Elmore Wonsley, strongly reject that version of events, insisting it would have been completely unlike their son to separate from his group. Elmore has publicly described that explanation as false.

According to authorities, Wells was last seen around 3 p.m. local time on July 4.

On July 7, local chancery judge Ashlee Cole released a statement explaining that her son, Warren Cole, who was with Wells that day, last saw him around 3 p.m. She said Warren left the island around 4:30 p.m. because the boat he was riding began taking on water after its bilge pump failed. She also said he fully cooperated with investigators during questioning.

Another friend, Tracestin Shepherd, previously told ABC News that the group departed because of an electrical issue with the boat while Wells remained behind after meeting a young woman.

Dispatch audio and GPS data reveal boat’s route

New records obtained by NBC News support the timeline involving the damaged boat.

According to dispatch audio, the boat’s operator contacted emergency services at about 4 p.m., reporting that the bilge pump had stopped working.

“Hey, we’re at the west tip of Horn and our bilge pump stopped working,” the caller reportedly said. “We’re going. We’re sinking. Can you all please come?”

The caller also estimated there were “like seven” people on board and requested assistance towing the vessel.

The records do not identify everyone aboard the boat or explain Wells’ whereabouts after he was last seen.

Meanwhile, GPS data obtained by CBS News from the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources provides a detailed timeline of the vessel’s movements.

The boat reportedly left the dock shortly before 10 a.m. and reached Horn Island at 11:14 a.m., remaining there until 4:31 p.m. Wells’ family has previously said he spent the previous night with friends before attending the July 4 gathering.

The GPS records show the boat departed Horn Island at 4:31 p.m. and returned to its original dock. It later traveled into Fort Bayou around 5:52 p.m. before returning to the dock at 6:06 p.m.

At 7:19 p.m., the vessel made another trip to the Fort Bayou boat launch before eventually being transported over land to the Biloxi home of its owners.

Family continues to push for answers

Wells’ parents have hired civil rights attorney Ben Crump and continue to question how the investigation has been handled.

They have called for greater transparency and a thorough investigation while suggesting racial bias may have influenced the response. The family also disputes suggestions that Wells accidentally drowned.

“We always taught him that if you go with a group, you stay with a group,” Elmore Wonsley said during an appearance on Good Morning America. “If you go with five, you come back with five. Do not separate from the group. Because I always said, ‘Safety is in numbers.’ So he knew to stay with this group, so why would he split from the group? I don’t know.”

The family has also questioned why Wells’ friends left the island without him while taking his phone and keys, which were later returned to his parents after he was reported missing. One friend has said Wells intentionally left his phone behind to keep it from getting damaged by seawater.

Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter has said the investigation remains active. Both investigators and Wells’ family continue to urge anyone with firsthand knowledge of what happened on Horn Island to come forward.