HORN ISLAND, MISSISSIPPI — As authorities continue investigating the d34th of 18-year-old Nolan Wells, one of the last people known to have seen the college football player alive has publicly shared his version of what happened during the Fourth of July outing that ended in tragedy.
The case remains under active investigation, and officials have not released a final cause of d34th.
Warren Hudson, who described Nolan Wells as «like a brother,» said he and others in their boating group did not intentionally leave Wells behind on Horn Island.
According to Hudson, one of the boats experienced a serious bilge pump failure and began taking on water, forcing the group to focus on getting the vessel safely back to the mainland.
Hudson said Wells was repeatedly encouraged to board the boat but chose to remain on the island with Katie McCormack, a young woman he had met that day.
Hudson said the last time he saw Wells was around 3:00 p.m. on July 4, adding that Wells appeared to be in good spirits despite having consumed alcohol.
He insisted Wells seemed «completely fine» during their conversations and rejected online claims that his friend had been abandoned.
Hudson also explained that leaving phones, keys, and wallets on boats while people gathered in shallow water was common practice on Horn Island and was not unique to Wells.
The interview was conducted by commentator Brandon Tatum, who traveled with Hudson to Horn Island to retrace the group’s movements.
During the visit, Hudson said their immediate party included roughly 20 to 30 people spread across three boats and that thousands of people were celebrating on the barrier island during the holiday weekend.
However, several aspects of Hudson’s account have been questioned. The family of Nolan Wells, represented by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, has expressed doubts that the teenager would voluntarily separate from his friends.
In addition, relatives of Katie McCormack have disputed parts of the narrative, saying she believed Wells intended to leave with his own group rather than stay behind. Authorities have not accused McCormack of any wrongdoing.
Investigators located Nolan Wells’ b0dy on July 6, two days after he disappeared. An independent autopsy has not established a definitive cause of d34th, and officials have stated that the investigation remains ongoing.
The findings are expected to be reviewed as part of the continuing legal process while authorities work to determine exactly what happened during Wells’ final hours on Horn Island.