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Chayton Wiescholek, a 28-year-old man from Union City, Michigan, was identified as one of four victims killed after a hot air balloon crash landed in Eloy, Arizona, on Sunday, January 14, 2024.
On Sunday morning, a hot air balloon carrying 13 adults – a balloon operator, four passengers and eight skydivers was floating over the Arizona desert when it crashed in Eloy - a city about 65 miles south of Phoenix - shortly after the skydivers completed their planned jump from the aircraft.
The crash reportedly killed four, including the pilot. A passenger who was critically injured was transported to a trauma center in Phoenix.
On the heels of the crash, in a news release, Eloy police identified the four victims as Chayton Wiescholek, 28, from Union City, Michigan; Kaitlynn Bartrom, 28, from Andrews, Indiana; Atahan Kiliccote, 24, from Cupertino, California; and Cornelius van der Walt, 37.
Van der Walt, who is originally from South Africa and resided in Eloy, was the pilot of the aircraft.
Eloy hot air balloon crash victim Chayton Wiescholek was a maintenance technician
In the wake of the Eloy hot air balloon crash, Gwendolyn Morrow, a family member of deceased victim Chayton Wiescholek, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help with the funeral costs. The fundraising page, which described the victim as an adventure seeker, has raised over $2,800.
The fundraiser intends to raise $15,000. The page urging people to donate read:
“During this time of grief and confusion, we ask for you to allow good memories to be shared, and to be spoken about to let his story continue through us. Any money that is raised here, will go directly to support the family as they hold the memorial and funeral services, which will be announced at a later time.”
A Facebook page that appeared to belong to the victim revealed that Chayton Wiescholek, who studied Welding at Kellogg Community College, was a maintenance technician at Continental Carbonic Products, Inc. Per his Facebook, he worked at Continental Carbonic Products for eight years.
A friend, Holly Secord, took to Facebook and penned an emotional tribute honoring the memory of Chayton Wiescholek. She wrote:
“Gone way too soon. I cannot fathom the heartache of the family and send them my condolences and prayers...Always happy, ready to help anyone in need, you will be missed by many.”
Meanwhile, Eloy police identified Valerie Stutterheim, 23, from Scottsdale, Arizona, as the critically injured victim in the incident. Authorities added they are working with the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration on the investigation.
The NTSB investigating the incident said preliminary information suggests the incident occurred after the balloon had an “unspecified problem with its envelope,” CNN reported. However, the precise cause of the hot air balloon crash is yet to be determined.
