ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Reports circulating on social media Saturday about an attempted murder on the French Broad River remain unconfirmed, according to the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office.
The reports followed a swift-water rescue near the French Broad River in Arden, where emergency crews responded to an incident involving a man who was later arrested.
828newsNOW contacted the sheriff’s office after reports circulated online about an incident involving a woman on the river.
A spokesperson for the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office said deputies assisted with a swift-water rescue and that the charges filed Saturday relate to the suspect’s interactions with law enforcement.
“These charges are from his actions toward our officers,” the spokesperson said. “Not aware of any attempted murder at this point.”
According to jail records, 52-year-old Brian Heath Forternberry was arrested Saturday and charged with communicating threats, disorderly conduct and resisting a public officer. He was being held at the Buncombe County Detention Facility with a secured bond of $250 and is scheduled to appear in court Monday.
According to the sheriff’s office, the charges filed Saturday stem from Forternberry’s interactions with responding deputies and do not include any assault- or homicide-related offenses.
On Saturday night, social media posts from a local news outlet alleged that a man knocked a woman from a tube on the French Broad River and held her underwater before fleeing into nearby woods. The post cited unnamed sources and reported that the woman survived and was transported to a hospital.
As of Sunday morning, no attempted murder or assault-related charges had been filed against Forternberry.
It was not immediately clear whether the incident remains under investigation or whether additional charges could be filed.
828newsNOW will update this story as more information becomes available.