PUTNAM COUNTY, Ga. — The drowning deaths of a man and his fiancée while boating on Lake Oconee have been ruled accidental.
Gary Jones and his fiancée Joycelyn Wilson vanished on the lake in February, and for months we’ve been waiting for a ruling over how the couple died.
Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills put that to rest on Wednesday, confirming that the couple’s deaths were accidental.
Wilson’s body was found the day after the couple were reported missing. As for Jones, a local teacher, his body was not found until more than a month later.
- Sheriff says despite speculation, he believes missing teacher is still in Lake Oconee
- Lake Oconee search: Channel 2 gets exclusive look at equipment being used to find missing teacher
- Wallet, credit cards found in boat of teacher who vanished on Lake Oconee
- Search crews say it could be weeks before locating coach missing in Lake Oconee
- Family of teacher who vanished on Lake Oconee releases statement
A massive search effort was deployed to find Jones on the lake in the weeks leading up to the discovery of his body.
“As days pass by, it becomes more and more difficult to hold out hope,” family friend Dorsey Farr told Channel 2 Action News in March.
“We had some tears and talked about how we were at peace,” Whitney Farr said.
But for those who had kids taught or coached by him, Jones’ memory will live on in the lessons he taught them and how he lived.
Sills said this now puts the case to a close.
©2025 Cox Media Group
