The Eloy Police Department has identified the four individuals killed in a hot air balloon ride on Sunday, January 14, 2024.
The balloon, operated by Droplyne Hot Air Balloon Rides, was carrying 13 people at the time of the take off. This included eight skydivers, four passengers, and the pilot.
The deceased have been identified as:
Chayton Wiescholek, 28, from Union City, Michigan.
Kaitlynn Bartrom, 28, from Andrews, Indiana.
Atahan Kiliccote, 24, from Cupertino, California
Cornelius Van Der Walt, 37, originally from South Africa, residing in Eloy, AZ, and identified as the pilot.
Additionally, one individual is in critical condition:
Valerie Stutterheim, 23, from Scottsdale, Arizona
The Eloy Police Department is actively collaborating with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the investigation of this incident.