Eloy hot air balloon crash: First responders gave ketamine to pilot, amended toxicology report says
PINAL COUNTY, Ariz. - The pilot of a hot air balloon that crashed south of Phoenix earlier this year had ketamine in his blood because it was administered to him by first responders, according to an amended toxicology report.
Cornelius Van der Walt, 37, had a high amount of ketamine in his blood when the balloon plummeted about 2,000 feet to the desert floor. The initial report stated that rescue crews did not administer the drug to Van der Walt, however, the updated report released on Friday says otherwise.
"According to a report received on April 5, 2024, 35mg of ketamine was administered to the decedent at a concentration of 500mg/10ml at 9:14am on the day of the incident by Air Evac Services," the report reads.
Thirteen people were aboard the Kubicek BB 85 Z balloon when it took off from Eloy on the morning of Jan. 14. Eight were skydivers who exited the gondola before the crash.
The skydivers jumped out at around 5,000 feet. Witnesses said the balloon partially deflated and began to lose altitude quickly before a hard impact in an empty field that serves as a drop zone for skydivers.
Declared dead at the scene were Van der Walt and three passengers — 28-year-old Kaitlynn "Katie" Bartrom of Andrews, Indiana; 28-year-old Chayton Wiescholek of Union City, Michigan; and 24-year-old Atahan Kiliccote of Cupertino, California.
Valerie Stutterheima, a 23-year-old from Scottsdale, was critically injured in the crash.
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Droplyne Hot Air Balloon Rides offered condolences on its website, noting it halted operations after the deadly crash. It had been offering flights from the Eloy area and Moab, Utah.
The website also said Droplyne, which was founded in 2017, had a perfect safety record before the crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board says it could take up to a year to complete their investigation.
The Associated Press (AP) contributed to this report.