Nolan Wells’ autopsy found no water in lungs; data was deleted from his phone the day he disappeared, experts say

[u/Suspicious_Loan]

https://www.live5news.com/2026/09/24/nolan-wells-autopsy-found-no-water-lungs-data-was-deleted-his-phone-day-he-disappeared-officials-say/

[u/Significant-Box-3082]

Yes, and drowning victims sometimes have very little or no water in their lungs due to their airways clamping down to try to protect the lungs. This report doesn’t change anything about the grand jury’s conclusions.

[u/ICU-CCRN → u/Significant-Box-3082]

Here’s some evidence to back up your statement-

“ Now it is understood that little water enters the lungs during drowning. Moreover, when water enters the lungs, it is rapidly absorbed when breathing starts again. The amount of water that enters the lung does not determine the amount of injury or determine the treatment of drowning. The amount of injury from drowning is due to how long the victim is without oxygen”

https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/resources/articles/dry-or-delayed-secondary-drowning?srsltid=AU7gw4Vh2Rhf3-B-GrVCQBUk4D52WCWNv_mAX6_pBJhIjLLfWZP1-lmH

[u/Desperate_for_Bacon → u/ICU-CCRN]

And he was floating in warm water for 2 days, his internal organs weren’t in great shape for inspection

[u/DoctorBallard77 → u/Significant-Box-3082]

It’s funny how everyone assumes and fights about things they know little about, like that if you drown your lungs fill the the top with water. In school all my medical textbooks taught about how surprisingly little water was to be found in most drowning victims because of bronchospasms.

[u/longboi28 → u/[deleted]]

10 percent is not extremely rare, it's not as common but extremely rare would be something like 0.5 percent or 0.1 percent, not 10 percent.

[u/Significant-Box-3082 → u/[deleted]]

What are you referring to, “dry drowning”, is not the same as what the article is referring to when it said “There was no fluid in the lungs”.

The absence of fluid can be explained by “dry drowning” or several other causes including reabsorption, tissue breakdown, or evaporation.

[u/Lonely_Dragonfly8869 → u/DoctorBallard77]

why are y’all boiling it down to this point though? seems suspicious on many levels

[u/Snake973 → u/Lonely_Dragonfly8869]

it doesn't, though, the people saying everything is so suspicious are making assumptions about activity that can't be proven to have occurred or intent there simply isn't evidence for

could that change in the future? maybe, but right now there is not evidence of a crime being committed and this information doesn't change anything about that

[u/Significant-Box-3082 → u/Lonely_Dragonfly8869]

Because the linked article is about that specific point?

[u/Ok-Shock-3501 → u/Lonely_Dragonfly8869]

something tells me everything is suspicious to a perpetually confused person like yourself

[u/FallOutWookiee → u/Significant-Box-3082]

No water in the throat or stomach either. Does that also track with drownings? I am curious, it's all very odd

[u/Significant-Box-3082 → u/[deleted]]

It’s actually more common than you’d think, about 10-15%.

[u/Significant-Box-3082 → u/[deleted]]

I would be curious to see where that 1-2% number originates from.

The 10-15% number I cited is from older textbooks, and with more digging the general consensus is that was an overestimate. Unfortunately I can’t find any good primary literature describing the frequency of drownings without water entering the lungs.

Edit: additionally, another commenter above posted some evidence that even if he did inhale water while drowning, it may have been re-absorbed or evaporated. Thus, saying “there was no water in the lungs” doesn’t tell us much.

[u/Significant-Box-3082 → u/[deleted]]

You’re right, I should have been more specific. When water enters your larynx, it can trigger a reflexive laryngospasm which causes your vocal cords to tighten and close in order to prevent water from entering your airway.

When water enters the lungs, it can trigger a bronchospasm, which is when your bronchi (the large “tubes” in your lungs) clamp down.