PUTNAM COUNTY, Ga. — After a 28-day search, missing Atlanta teacher Gary Jones’ body was found in Lake Oconee, Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills said. 

According to Sills, Jones’ body was found by Keith Cormican, founder of Bruce’s Legacy, a nonprofit dedicated to underwater recovery missions.

Our sister station 11Alive reported Cormican and his team would be out on the water on Saturday. After over a day of searching, Bruce’s Legacy located Jones’ body.

At a press conference, Jones’ brother, Michael Jones, thanked Sills and everyone that helped in the search.

Sills said he was out on the lake when Cormican and his team found the body.

Before Bruce’s Legacy became involved, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Law Enforcement Division spent significant time looking for Gary Jones.

According to 11Alive, since Jones and his fiancee Joycelyn Wilson disappeared on Feb. 8, Georgia DNR said the agency had invested more than 1,830 man-hours into the search, deploying game wardens from across the state to assist. 

It only took one day to find Wilson, but they struggled to find Jones after nearly four weeks.

They had used various types of sonar and aerial methods to try and find him, but to no avail. However, after suspending the search on March 3, Sills elected to bring in Cormican and his team.

“He’s very successful, very well known around the country, and he’s literally traveled the world finding bodies,” Sills said.

Sills said they are currently informing the family, who funded the search.

A 13WMAZ reporter is headed to the scene to speak with Sills in person. We will update this story as more information becomes available.