‘Miracles happen’: Volunteers join robust search effort for missing Atlanta teacher on Lake Oconee

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – On Friday, dozens of volunteers joined sheriff’s deputies and crews from the Department of Natural Resources to try and locate the body of Gary Jones, an Atlanta teacher, who went missing on Lake Oconee Saturday, along with his fiancée Joycelyn Wilson.

“I think that some of us are still hopeful that we will not only find him but that maybe that you know, miracles happen,” said Dana Chambliss, whose two sons were taught by Jones at Westminster Schools in Atlanta.

Chambliss joined other volunteers from the Westminster community on Friday to try and locate Jones, who was an 8th grade science teacher and a high school track coach.

The body of Wilson was found on the surface of Lake Oconee, roughly a mile from the Long Shoals Boat Ramp.

Search crews found a pair of Jones’ shoes roughly 200 yards from Wilson’s body earlier this week.

“I’ve got video of them launching the boat and I zoomed in on it and they’re the identical shoes,” said Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills.

“Initially you want to think perhaps they’re alive and need help and things like that. I don’t think that at this juncture,” said Sills, in an interview with Atlanta News First on Friday.

Sills said he is investigating the death for foul play. He said that is standard in cases like this.

“There’s nothing on that nature that I can comment on,” said Sills, when asked if Wilson’s death is suspicious in nature.

Sills said their investigation goes beyond the confines of Lake Oconee. He said they recently acquired the phone records of Wilson and Jones.

Sills called this search effort the most robust search he’s seen at Lake Oconee, where he’s been sheriff of Putnam County for nearly 30 years.

“In all my years I’ve never seen this many people searching for a body in the lake,” said Sills.

Game Wardens from the Department of Natural Resources continued their efforts using SONAR scanning tools as part of surface and shoreline sweeps.

A DNR K-9 team searched in the woods near the lake on Friday.

The Sheriff’s Office launched a K-9 team to help sniff for a body on Lake Oconee.

“The challenge in every drowning type situation, if I know where you go down, that’s where you’re going to be. But we don’t know where they went down,” said Sills.

Volunteer search crews said they will continue their efforts on Saturday morning.

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