Cornelius van der Walt, a lover of the skies, was both a responsible and an adventurer. Everything had to be safe and done in a certain way. His best friend and business partner, John Vanka, said he was a man you could trust.
When van der Walt, 37, and three others died in a hot air balloon crash in Arizona in January, the news shocked the skydiving community and made headlines around the world.
Last week, the Pinal County Medical Examiner's Office released an autopsy report that found high levels of ketamine, an anesthetic that can cause hallucinogenic effects in certain doses, in Van der Walt's body. It was in the news again. .
The balloon pilot did not have a prescription for the drug, the report said. Medical workers sometimes use it to relieve pain in emergencies, but the report said they did not use it that day.
From local newspapers to international news outlets, headlines focused on that detail: “Hot air balloon pilot had ketamine in his system at the time of crash that killed 4 people, report says” AP The communication said. The Times of London reported: “Pilot in fatal hot air balloon crash had ketamine in his system.”
But that wasn't all. Two days later, the Office of the Medical Examiner reversed its stance and added important details to its report. That is, the paramedics actually administered ketamine to Mr van der Walt.
Coroner's spokesman James Daniels said in an email this week that new information has come to light.
At the time of the first report, the coroner's office consulted the fire department and hospital involved in the rescue operation, but they were not informed that the Air Evac crew had been treated with ketamine.
Eloy Police Department spokesman Jeremy Sammons said one of the department's investigators noticed “possible discrepancies” in the coroner's report.
Some news outlets updated their articles after the medical examiner changed the report. Some people have published new articles. But by then, Mr van der Walt's family and friends were already reeling.
“As soon as the media started reporting on this situation, hateful and unpleasant messages were sent to various parties via social media,” Vanka said. “I think all of this has caused considerable emotional strain, not only on Cornelius' family, but on all the other families involved as well.”
Van der Walt, a native of Walvis Bay, Namibia, had lived in Arizona since at least 2017, but moved frequently. He was also the founder and pilot of his Droplyne Hot Air Balloon Rides. His biography on the company's website is written in the first person and describes his love of the sky: “Home is where you park your balloons.”
Droplyne offers skydiving and hot air balloon rides, and the ride van der Walt piloted on January 14 was one of them. That morning, 13 people rode in the balloon, and he skydived with eight of them safely.
After jumping off at an altitude of about 10,000 feet, the balloon began to partially deflate and begin to lose altitude at about 4,000 feet, according to the coroner's report.
At an altitude of 600 feet, the balloon began a high-speed free fall and crashed, killing Mr. van der Walt and Cheyton Wieczorek, 28, of Union City, Michigan. (years old), and three others died. Caitlin Bartrom, 28, of Andrews, Indiana. According to the Eloy Police Department, Atahan Kirikoto, 24, of Cupertino, California. A fourth passenger, Valerie Stutterheim, 23, of Scottsdale, Arizona, was seriously injured.
The National Transportation Safety Board said a problem with the bag used to fill the balloon with hot air may have caused the accident, but the exact cause remains unclear.
NTSB spokesman Peter Knudson said in an email that the board is still investigating the incident, which typically takes one to two years from the date of the accident.
Vanka said he first met Van der Walt in Namibia in 2014. The two soon realized that they looked a little alike. This would become the running joke of their 10-year friendship.
“People often asked, mainly in the United States, if we were brothers,” Vanka said.
He said Van der Walt had a sense of responsibility and adventure, as well as “the ability to bring a sense of magic and wonder to the world and its people.”
The friends spent time together on land and in the air, just like “two crazy people riding in a giant hot air balloon, laughing and blowing fire in the sky.”
The initial autopsy report upset those who knew Mr van der Walt. Vanka said the reputation of “Niels' good name and impeccable record” had been tarnished.
Before the Jan. 14 accident, Droplin said its safety record was perfect. Operations have been suspended since the crash.
“Niels is the lifeblood of Droplyne and we wouldn't be the same without him,” Vanka said. “It pains me to say this, but Droplyne will remain closed.”