PHOENIX — A hot air balloon accident in Eloy turned tragic just after dawn Sunday.
The balloon and its basket crashed in the desert east of Sunshine Boulevard and Hanna Avenue around 7:50 a.m., according to police in Eloy, Pinal County. Four people are reported to have died and one person is in critical condition as a result of the accident.
Police said the balloon initially took off with 13 people on board, eight of whom were intentional skydivers and landed safely.
The four people confirmed dead are 28-year-old Chayton Wieczorek of Union City, Michigan, 28-year-old Caitlin Bartom of Andrews, Indiana, and 24-year-old Atahan Killicoat of Cupertino, California. He was identified as a 37-year-old man. – Connelius van der Walt, an old Eloi pilot.
Van der Walt was the founder of Droplin, a company that owned and operated balloons.
Van der Walt founded the company in 2017, according to the company's website.
The woman in critical condition was identified as Valerie Stutterheim, 23, of Scottsdale.
National Transportation Safety Board officials said, “The balloon crashed into the desert area due to an unknown problem with its outer shell.''
Investigation is ongoing.
