Gary Jones, a dedicated teacher and coach at Atlanta's Westminster Schools, was found deceased in Lake Oconee

On March 9, 2025 the body of Gary Jones surfaced in Lake Oconee where he had gone missing while boating with Joycelyn Wilson one month before. Jones taught and coached at Westminster Schools in Atlanta.

A boating trip for Jones' 50th birthday started on February 8th 2025 between him and his fiancée Joycelyn Wilson. A search team immediately started operations after discovering the abandoned yet idle boat of Jones and Wilson floating on the lake later that day. Authorities discovered Wilson's body on February 9 in the same region where Jones' shoes together with his personal possessions had been located.

The search team activated diverse search methods including divers together with dogs who detect corpses along with helicopters as well as sonar equipment. The search operations succeeded for a month yet Jones still did not return. Divers recovered his remains 45 feet below water surface proximity to the Wilson discovery location.

Jones and Wilson reunited after thirty years to finalize their wedding which they intended to hold on March 14, 2025. Wilson maintained respect as an instructor of mathematics at Spelman College.

The recovery of Jones' body gave his family members and colleagues as well as his students the peace they needed after his disappearance had brought such distress to those who knew him. Authorities classify the incident a tragic accident while investigating the events leading to the death before obtaining complete autopsy findings.