THE heartbroken mother of Nolan Wells has broken down in a new video as she admitted her family still hasn’t been able to properly mourn the 18-year-old’s tragic death.

Christine Wonsley tearfully described feeling like “there is an elephant just sitting on my chest” as she opened up about the devastating loss of her son, whose death remains under investigation.

Speaking in an emotional Instagram video shared on Thursday, Christine thanked supporters for their “love” and “kindness” before revealing the crushing reality of trying to cope with Nolan’s death.

“Right now everything is so heavy. Everything is so heavy. Just been going through the motions. I’m a health care provider so I talk about grief a lot,” she said.

“Now to be on the other side of this, it’s a lot. I lost my mom a few years ago and that was hard. This loss, this pain, this grief hits different. It’s unsurmountable.”

Christine described grief as “multi-layered”, explaining how her emotions can change in an instant.

“One second I might be okay and I can talk about things and I can listen to his stories and the next minute I am falling apart,” she said.

“I feel like I can’t breathe and I feel like there is an elephant just sitting on my chest, but I know this is the process.

“I have a wonderful support system, I have my faith in God, which I’ve been leaning heavy into.”

She also vowed to keep fighting for answers and sharing Nolan’s story, saying that’s what her son would have wanted.

“I know if Nolan was here, he’d be like, ’Mom, just keep talking to the people. Keep telling my story,” she said.

Alongside the video, Christine admitted the family is still too overwhelmed by the tragedy to fully process what has happened.

“The loss is so fresh and still we haven’t been able to grieve,” she wrote.

“This loss hits so differently than anything I’ve ever experienced. My heart will never be whole again.”

The emotional post came just one day after Christine and Nolan’s father, Elmore Wonsley, met with Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath as they continue pushing for a full investigation into their son’s death.

During the meeting, the family agreed to a joint inspection of Nolan’s cellphone with prosecutors and family attorney Ben Crump after concerns were raised over the device and whether any content may have been deleted.

The latest developments come as newly released GPS records and a desperate distress call have produced the clearest timeline yet of the final hours before Nolan vanished.

The group had travelled to Mississippi’s Horn Island for a Fourth of July celebration, with tracking data showing the boat left the mainland at around 9.56am and arrived on the island at 11.14am.

According to Crump’s office, Nolan was last seen on the island at about 3pm.

GPS records later showed the vessel departed at 4.31pm – more than an hour after that reported sighting.

As the group attempted to leave, the boat’s operator made an emergency call after the vessel’s bilge pump reportedly failed.

“Hey, we’re at the west tip of Horn, and our bilge pump stopped working. We’re going. We’re sinking. Can you all please come?” the caller said in audio obtained by NBC News.

“I want to get this boat unsank and towed back.”

When the dispatcher asked whether everyone onboard was safe, the operator replied: “Yeah, yeah, everybody is onboard.”

However, CBS News has previously reported that Nolan was not on the boat when it departed the island.

After the vessel was towed for around three miles, GPS data showed it resumed normal speed before returning to its original departure point at 5.44pm.

Separate tracking later showed the boat travelled to Fort Bayou before ultimately being taken over land to the Biloxi home of its owners.

Officials have said the boat’s owner, his mother and another individual who was reportedly with Nolan that day have cooperated with investigators.

Christine reported her son missing on the night of July 4 after he failed to return home.

A major search involving the US Coast Guard, Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and National Park Service followed before Nolan’s body was found in waters off the northwest end of Horn Island on July 6.

The Jackson County coroner later confirmed his identity through dental records.

An autopsy was carried out, but officials are still awaiting toxicology results before a final report is released.

Meanwhile, Nolan’s family has commissioned an independent autopsy and launched its own investigation, saying they believe key questions remain unanswered.

His parents have repeatedly said they do not believe Nolan would have willingly stayed behind when the rest of the group left the island.

Nolan, a former Ocean Springs High School student, was preparing for his sophomore football season at Southwest Mississippi Community College.

His attorney has also said the teen was a strong swimmer.

Source: https://www.the-sun.com/news/16703905/nolan-wells-mom-emotional-new-video-instagram-update/