The body of a Brunswick teenager was found around 1 p.m. Tuesday on a Jekyll Island beach after a nearly 20-hour search by hundreds of volunteers and local law enforcement, state and federal.
Connor Mathis, 16, was found by law enforcement on the south end of Jekyll Island after he was reported missing Monday evening. Connor was attending a church camp at Camp Jekyll and was not present at a 6pm reunion after participating in the afternoon activities.
He was reported missing to the Georgia State Patrol, which handles law enforcement activities on Jekyll Island. The State Patrol, Jekyll Island Fire Department and other area agencies searched for Connor overnight from a helicopter using infrared camera technology.
The Georgia State Patrol is still investigating the cause and manner of Connor’s death.
Crowds of volunteers, some locals and some who were vacationing on the resort island, helped in the search along with agencies such as the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Glynn County Police, Brunswick Police, Glynn County Schools Police, Glynn County Fire and Rescue, Brunswick. Firefighters and various other federal law enforcement agencies.
Helicopters from the US Coast Guard, State Patrol and DNR flew low over the beach and inland on Tuesday as volunteers and law enforcement scoured the island for Connor.
He was found early Tuesday afternoon.
Connor was a student at Glynn Academy and had high-functioning autism. A family friend said Connor was a happy boy who was always smiling and enjoyed participating in basketball practice with a local team when he could.
Volunteers from the command center set up by the search and rescue team joined in prayer at the Jekyll Island Golf Club after the announcement was made.
His autism led to some volunteers helping with the research.
Travis and Erica Johnson of Dacula gave up part of their vacation to search.
“I have a cousin who has autism,” Erica Johnson said. “I hope someone does it for him.”
He said they didn’t even have to think about joining the quest.
“He saw the text this morning and said, ‘Get up. We’ve got to go,'” she said.
They had searched the bike paths near the picnic area of St. Andrews early and returned with another assignment at Great Dunes.
Kristy Anderson and Christina Alcantara, both of Brunswick, carried water and a backpack with them during the search. Anderson had been searching since Monday night because she said she has a family member who also has high-functioning autism.
Like Anderson, Alcantara said it was an easy decision to be part of the search.
“If it was my son I would want the whole world to look for him,” she said.
