By Josh Bergeron

josh.bergeron@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — After hours of searching over two days, first responders on Wednesday said they didn’t find any credible evidence that a plane crashed Tuesday night near the Yadkin River.

During a number of searches on Tuesday and Wednesday crews haven’t found wreckage or any signs of a crash. A number of agencies searched the Yadkin River late into the night on Tuesday and resumed searching Wednesday morning. Searches occurred by air, land and boat.

“At this time, we do not have any credible information that there was a crash,” said Frank Thomason, chief of Rowan County Emergency Services.

He also addressed any potential correlation between a “loud” boom and low-flying plane.

Thomason said the first report related to an airplane crash came at about 9 p.m. on Tuesday from a person driving north on Interstate 85. The person described a low-flying aircraft that disappeared below the tree line. Reports of a “loud boom” came later. The locations and times of the “loud boom” reports didn’t match up with the low-flying plane reports, Thomason said.

Credible evidence of a crash would mean that reports of an explosion would have been closer in time and location to the low-flying plane report — within minutes — he said.

A number of agencies from Rowan and Davidson counties assisted in the search or responded to the call, including: Rowan Rescue Squad, Millers Ferry Fire Department, Union Fire Department, Churchland Fire Department, Rowan County Emergency Services, Salisbury Fire Department, Rowan County Telecommunications, NC Highway Patrol, Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, Spencer Police Department and Davidson County EMS.

Contact reporter Josh Bergeron at 704-797-4246.