PUTNAM COUNTY, Ga. — The family of missing teacher Gary Jones are responding for the first time to Putnam County Investigators suspending a part of the search for him.
They sent Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernandes a statement Monday night, saying:
“In response to recent news about the search, the family of Gary Jones would like to clarify and confirm that the search for Gary is still ongoing and active. The family is still working and searching in cooperation with numerous private nonprofit agencies, volunteers and national search teams in completing the search.
“We have had positive recent developments that heighten our enthusiasm in concluding this search victoriously. We would like to thank all of the organizations, nonprofits, volunteers and families that have joined in to support the efforts to find Gary. Thank you in advance for a soon coming victory! God Bless.”
Putnam County Investigators suspended the search for the Westminster teacher, who disappeared while boating on Lake Oconee nearly a month ago, with his fiancé Joycelyn Wilson.
The suspension stems from a combination of cold water temperatures and tough conditions for divers and K-9s to do their jobs.
“At this point in time, it’s just not a wise use of our resources,” said Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills.
Sills told Fernandes that search teams have come from neighboring counties, and all over the country with their K-9s, professional divers, and of course the Department of Natural Resources has been using their sonar equipment daily for three weeks.
None of it has helped locate Jones.
“The general consensus now, is that Mr. Jones’s body is probably out there in the deepest part of the lake, and it’s at least 70 feet there,” Sills said.
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The sheriff said it’s too dangerous to keep sending divers down into that dangerous part of the lake – when the water temperature is still close to freezing.
The Jones family has some of their own resources coming to search this weekend.
Sills said he now has a new timeline of when the boat incident may have happened – because Jones’ phone stopped all transmission at 5:01 p.m.
His fiancé’s phone that belonged to Wilson stopped at 4:59 p.m.
Witnesses said they saw the empty boat circling at 5:24 p.m.
Wilson’s body was recovered the morning after DNR found the empty boat. She was floating near the boat because she had air in her lungs.
Fernandes asked Sills what he can say to people who are wondering if Wilson died before she hit the water.
“I can’t answer that right now. I’ve consulted with the pathologist medical examiner at the GBI Crime lab on this, and at this point in time, she hasn’t reached her final opinion on that. I’m not gonna elaborate on that any further at this time,” Sills said.
Putnam deputies and DNR will continue to do daily shoreline searches while the intense water search is suspended.
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