‘Just broken’: Michigan mom mourns loss of son after Eloy hot air balloon crash

By Micaela Marshall

Click here for updates on this story

    ELOY, Arizona (KPHO) — A Michigan mom is in agony after learning her son died in a hot air balloon crash in Eloy.

She told Arizona’s Family she caught the first flight to Arizona. “I’m staying here until I can take my son home. I am not leaving without him,” said Rhonda Wiescholek. Her son, 28-year-old Chayton Wiescholek, is one of four people killed in the crash.

It happened early Sunday morning in Eloy, a city south of the Valley in Pinal County. Police say there were 13 people on board the hot air balloon. Eight skydivers jumped out successfully and then something went wrong. Five people were still in the basket when it crashed. They’ve been identified as Chayton Wiescholek, Kaitlynn Bartrom, Atahan Kiliccote, and the pilot Cornelius van der Walt. Valerie Stutterheim, from Scottsdale, survived but is still in the hospital.

Rhonda said her son lived with his long-time girlfriend Kinsey and their cats in Union City, Michigan, which is about two hours west of Detroit. The couple was on vacation in Arizona at the time of the crash. Kinsey is a skydiver and Chayton was along for the ride. Rhonda was on her way home after checking on the cats when she got the call from Kinsey that Chayton was gone.

“There’s not a whole bunch more you can say. You’re just broken,” said Rhonda. “He was just up in the balloon to be with her and all the skydivers had jumped out of the balloon and then something went wrong and we still don’t know what.”

A group of skydivers, including Kinsey, jumped and landed safely and then watched as the balloon crashed into the desert. “They won’t let us see him or nothing,” said Rhonda. “I need to see my son.”

Rhonda said she used to see her son multiple times a week. She said he helped out at the family farm and enjoyed the outdoors, riding in his Jeep and camping. But perhaps most of all, he loved being with Kinsey, whom Rhonda says he planned to marry. Amid her grief, this mother is finding some peace. “Knowing that he was happy, yes. Because that’s all I’ve ever asked of my children is I want you happy and he was happy with her. So, I know he was happy,” she said.

Rhonda told Arizona’s Family that Katie Bartrom, another victim, is Kinsey’s best friend. The two bonded over their shared love of skydiving. A GoFundMe has been set up to help with Chayton’s funeral expenses.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.