Pals of the tragic teen Nolan Wells called for help when their boat suddenly malfunctioned and started taking on water, according to newly released audio from the day of his disappearance.

Wells, 18, traveled with his friends to Horn Island from the Mississippi mainland for the Fourth of July holiday — but he wasn’t with the group for the return journey.

Their boat — which had “like seven” people on board — experienced difficulty at around 4 p.m.

“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 vessel’s operator said in audio obtained by NBC News.

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

The boat was then towed for around three miles before picking up normal speed less than an hour later, according to GPS data obtained by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and shared with NBC News.

It returned to the location it originally departed at 5:44 p.m.

Wells’ body was found two days later in the water, just off shore on the northwest end of the island, according to officials.