CHERAW, SC (WBTW and Associated Press) – Chesterfield County officials say the single occupant of a small, private plane that went down near the Great Pee Dee River Thursday morning was found deceased in the aircraft.
Sheriff Jay Brooks confirms his deputies discovered the plane after farmers north of Cheraw reported the aircraft went down around 10:15 a.m. in or near the Great Pee Dee River.
Chesterfield County Coroner Kip Kiser identified the pilot as 59-year-old Walker Jeter Hester of Atlanta.
A local pilot flew searchers over the area, and they did spot some debris and downed power lines, says Sheriff Brooks. Searchers later discovered the plane but had difficulty getting to the wreckage as the aircraft went down in very swampy terrain, explains Sheriff Brooks.
“After an extensive search and help with the local helicopter, some wreckage was spotted about a hundred yards off the river on the Chesterfield county side about two miles north of the town of Cheraw,” Sheriff Brooks says. “It took a while to get in there, [it] was very rough.”
There is no information yet on where the plane may have been flying from or what the destination for the aircraft may have been.