After originally declaring that the pilot in January's fatal hot air balloon crash in Eloy, Arizona, had elevated levels of ketamine in his system, an amended autopsy released Friday said the potent drug had actually been administered as part of life-saving efforts.
The autopsy report for Cornelius van der Walt, signed by the Pinal County chief medical examiner, initially noted that ketamine was found in his "cardiac blood."
The original report on Monday said that Van der Walt, 37, had not been administered the drug, but that it was in his system at a ratio more than 10 times greater than that found in a small group of impaired drivers whose cases were used to study the drug’s effects. It noted that ketamine can cause dissociative hallucination.
The drug, which some people use recreationally, is sometimes used on trauma patients by emergency services personnel as a sedative and analgesic.
The amended version released Friday said Air Evac Services administered the ketamine "at 9:14 am on the day of the incident."
The company provides emergency medical personnel and helicopters to transport critical trauma patients to hospitals. A representative for a parent company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
An Eloy Police Department spokesperson said one of its investigators prompted the medical examiner’s amendment.
“The Eloy Police Department investigator noticed a potential discrepancy in the report findings and quickly brought that information to their attention,” Sgt. Jeremy Sammons said by email.
The toxicology test was conducted by NMS Labs of Horsham, Pennsylvania, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Federal Aviation Administration also conducted a conducted a test with a similar finding, according to the autopsy report.
The initial version of the report did not state that Van der Walt had abused ketamine and did not say why he had it in his system. It lists his cause of death as multiple blunt force trauma and the manner as an accident.
Four people, including Van der Walt, died in the Jan. 14 incident. A fifth person survived.
The hot air balloon took flight with 13 occupants. At around 5,000 feet, eight skydivers jumped out of the balloon as planned, the report states.
“Immediately after the skydiving members of the party had jumped, the balloon was witnessed to partially deflate and begin to lose altitude, dropping to approximately 4,000 ft., where witnesses reported that the craft seemed to regain some control but continued to descend,” according to the report.
When the hot air balloon was at about 2,000 feet, it was “witnessed to begin to free fall straight down at an unknown high rate of speed, eventually striking the ground.” Witnesses called 911, the report says.
The three other people killed were identified by police as Chayton Wiescholek, 28, of Union City, Michigan; Kaitlynn Bartom, 28, of Andrews, Indiana; and Atahan Kiliccote, 24, of Cupertino, California.
The sole survivor suffered brain injury and broken bones but was hospitalized and survived, NBC affiliate KVOA of Tucson reported.
The National Transportation Safety Board had said that an “unspecified problem“ with the balloon’s “envelope,” the bag that fills with hot air to make the balloon rise, may have led to the crash.
The NTSB said in a statement in January that investigators had not found any mechanical anomalies. The crash remains under investigation.
The balloon was operated by Droplyne Hot Air Balloon Rides, which Van der Walt founded. Principals at the company did not respond to requests for comment on Thursday and Friday.
The Arizona Republic publication said it tried to reach co-owner John Vanca but was told he was traveling. It spoke to his father, Michael Vanca, who described Van der Walt as a "second son."
Reaction to the autopsy report's finding of ketamine in the pilot's system and no evidence of its administration by first responders prompted "hate" toward Van der Walt from some, Michael Vanca said, according to the publication. It saddened him, he told the Republic.
Droplyne temporarily halted services because of the crash, according to a message on its website.
