A tragic incident unfolded in Eloy, Arizona, on Sunday when a Michigan man and three others died after a hot air balloon crashed, carrying skydivers and passengers. 28-year-old Chayton Wiescholek from Union City was among the victims. The 13 people aboard the Droplyne Hot Air Balloon Rides operated balloon included eight skydivers, four passengers, and the pilot, according to CBS News Detroit.
Wiescholek, who was with his girlfriend on a vacation in Arizona, sent a heartbreaking "goodbye" text to her during the balloon's fatal descent. His father, Gary Wiescholek, revealed this tragic moment saying, "He texted her on the way down, saying, 'Goodbye, this isn't going to be good, I love you' and signed off." Kinsey, already on the ground among the skydivers who jumped successfully, raced to the crash site but was not allowed near the scene. Other fatalities included Kaitlynn Bartrom, 28, from Andrews, Indiana; Atahan Kiliccote, 24, of Cupertino, California; and the South African pilot Cornelius Van Der Walt, 37, who resided in Eloy, AZ. Valerie Stutterheim, 23, from Scottsdale, AZ, survived the crash but remains in critical condition, according to The Messenger News.
Described as an adventurer and outdoorsman, Chayton Wiescholek's loss has shattered his family, leaving them "just broken," as his mother Rhonda Wiescholek said. She flew to Arizona to be near her son, stating, "I am not leaving without him." Amid her profound grief, she took solace in knowing that her son "...was happy with her. So, I know he was happy", as per 3TV/CBS 5.
The Eloy Police Department has been working with the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Agency to determine the cause of the incident. The police, having clarified that the skydivers had completed their jumps successfully before issues with the balloon became apparent, expressed their deepest sympathies to the victims' families and friends. The tragic crash has sparked a GoFundMe campaign to assist with Chayton Wiescholek's funeral expenses, acknowledging the tight-knit community's loss and the anguish of a family's sudden bereavement.
