MIAMI (AP) — The family of a Miami restaurateur say they are “devastated and heartbroken” after he and six others were killed by a safari helicopter crash in a remote part of northern Kenya.
A helicopter crashed Wednesday morning while flying from the Loisaba Conservancy to the Ewaso Nyiro area in Samburu County, according to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority. Roger Duarte, founder and owner of George Stone Crab, was identified by family members as a passenger.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, officials said. The U.S. State Department said five of those killed were U.S. citizens.
“The magnitude of this tragedy is impossible to comprehend, and there are no words to express the depth of our pain,” the statement from Duarte's family said. “We ask that you keep them all and everyone who loved them in your prayers.”
The statement also named the five other passengers and the pilot.
Among those killed were an executive with Telemundo, the U.S.-based Spanish-language network owned by NBCUniversal, and the director of Ecuador’s national intelligence service.
José Suárez was the president and general manager of the Telemundo-owned stations in Orlando, Tampa and Fort Myers, Florida. Telemundo and NBCUniversal executives called Suárez a deeply respected leader and beloved friend in a memo sent to staff and obtained by The Associated Press
“José was an exceptional colleague and mentor to many,” the message said. “He cared deeply about his teams, the communities they served and the essential role our stations play in people’s lives. He brought energy, humor, warmth and a strong sense of purpose to his work, and his impact was felt far beyond the stations he led.”
Michele Sensi-Contugi, director of the Ecuador's National Intelligence Center, died in the crash, along with his wife, fashion designer Stephany Hollihan.
“In this moment of deep sorrow, the government extends its heartfelt condolences to his family, loved ones and close associates,” Ecuador’s presidency said in a statement posted on X.
Sensi-Contugi, a friend and close associate of Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, and Hollihan were visiting Kenya as tourists. She was a U.S. and Ecuadorian citizen. They are survived by their two children.
The last two passengers were identified as Adam Hlavaty and Henry Parra, a South Florida married couple. Hlavaty was a real estate executive and co-founder of a development company called MRKT Group. Parra co-founded and helped manage an aviation maintenance company for nearly three decades after serving in the U.S. Navy as an aviation support tech.
Parra's former company said in a statement that he was a builder in every sense of the word.
“Henry was also deeply committed to the Miami community, generously supporting charitable organizations and initiatives that created opportunities for others and strengthened the city he called home,” the statement said.
The pilot was identified as Josh Outram, founder of Africa Heli Adventures. A conservation group called Save the Elephants posted their condolences on Facebook.
“Josh worked briefly with Save the Elephants as one of our dedicated and experienced fixed wing pilots, and we are deeply saddened by his passing,” a post said.
The helicopter crashed in a rugged area in the foothills of Mount Ololokwe, a popular tourist destination in the country, local media reported. The helicopter, owned by local company Lady Lori Helicopters, was carrying guests with travel company &Beyond. Lady Lori Helicopters said in a statement that the aircraft was operating a charter flight when it crashed.
Tropic Air Kenya, a local safari operator, said in a statement that it dispatched two of its helicopters to aid search and rescue operations.
The aviation authority said the aircraft was a Eurocopter EC130 B4.
Helicopter crashes have happened with increasing regularity in Kenya, which has a vibrant tourism industry that depends on domestic carriers to ferry visitors to distant places like Mount Ololokwe.
In February, a legislator was among six people who died after a helicopter crash in a hilly area of western Kenya.
