A helicopter carrying seven people crashed near Mount Ololokwe in northern Kenya on Wednesday morning, killing everyone on board, including five Americans and the head of Ecuador's intelligence agency.
Among the dead was Roger Duarte, a 42-year-old Miami seafood entrepreneur who built a multimillion-dollar business selling stone crab claws and earned a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2016. Also killed were Telemundo executive José Suárez, 55, who oversaw multiple Florida stations; married couple Henry Parra and Adam Hlavaty; Michele Sensi-Contugi, director general of Ecuador's National Intelligence Center; his wife Stephany Maria Hollihan Vasconez, a U.S. dual citizen; and pilot Josh Outram. The New York Post reported that the crash occurred near the foothills of the mountain in Samburu County, a remote stretch of northern Kenya popular with safari tourists.
The aircraft, a Eurocopter EC130 B4 operated by Lady Lori Helicopters, was on a charter flight carrying guests of &Beyond, a luxury tour company. AP News reported the helicopter went down at 9:13 a.m. local time while flying from Loisaba Conservancy to the Ewaso Nyiro area. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
The U.S. State Department confirmed the American casualties. A spokesperson said the U.S. Embassy was providing consular assistance to the families.
"The Trump Administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans. We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones on their loss."
That statement came from a State Department spokesperson, as Just The News reported.
Duarte's story was the kind of American success narrative that earns magazine profiles and industry admiration. As a schoolboy, he sold South American cigars to his father's friends. After a stint in investment banking, he walked away from Wall Street at 24 to start George Stone Crab in 2008, initially selling crab claws to neighbors in Key Biscayne, Florida, before teaming up with a major wholesaler to scale the operation.
By 2012, he had launched My Ceviche, a fast-casual restaurant concept, with chef Sam Gorenstein. A single test store brought in $1 million in sales within its first year. Bloomberg profiled him in March 2013 and dubbed him the "Stone Crab King."
Duarte told Bloomberg at the time why he left banking behind:
"I didn't feel I was going to grow at an investment bank, and I wasn't interested in getting an MBA. It was my turn to start my own business."
Forbes added him to its 30 Under 30 list in 2016. He lived in a $2.8 million home with his wife, Nicole Valls Duarte, the daughter of Felipe Valls Jr., founder of Versailles, the iconic Cuban restaurant in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood. The couple had two children; their second was born in November 2024.
His father, Roger Duarte Sr., 82, spoke to the Daily Mail after learning of his son's death.
"I'm very devastated right now. I don't have the words to express my feelings. We don't know much about what happened. They are investigating the crash."
The Duarte family released a separate statement: "The magnitude of this tragedy is impossible to comprehend and there are no words to express the depth of our pain."
Lee Schrager, a businessman and friend of Duarte's, told WPLG: "He had such an incredible work ethic."
Suárez served as president and general manager of Telemundo-owned stations in Orlando, Tampa, and Fort Myers. NBCUniversal, Telemundo's parent company, confirmed his death in an internal memo and a joint statement with Telemundo leadership.
NBCUniversal News Group Chairman Cesar Conde said Suárez "was an exceptional colleague and mentor to many," adding that "he cared deeply about his teams, the communities they served and the essential role our stations play in people's lives."
The Washington Examiner reported that the NBCUniversal memo described Suárez as "a deeply respected leader and beloved friend and colleague across NBCU Local and NBCU News Group."
Michele Sensi-Contugi led Ecuador's National Intelligence Center. His wife, Stephany Maria Hollihan Vasconez, held U.S. dual citizenship. Ecuador's presidency issued a statement on social media: "In this moment of deep sorrow, the government extends its heartfelt condolences to his family, loved ones and close associates."
The presence of a senior foreign intelligence official on a luxury safari helicopter adds an unusual dimension to the crash. No information in any available reporting connects the crash to anything other than an accident, and authorities have said the cause is still under investigation.
The crash site sits in rugged terrain near the base of Mount Ololokwe, a flat-topped sandstone mesa that rises sharply from the surrounding landscape. Breitbart reported that Tropic Air Kenya dispatched two helicopters for search and rescue, and the Kenya Red Cross deployed emergency response teams as part of what it called "a multiagency response effort as rescue teams work to access the crash site."
Lady Lori Helicopters, the operator, confirmed the flight had departed from Suyian Conservancy. Some supporting reports identified the departure point as Loisaba Conservancy, a discrepancy that has not been publicly resolved. The company issued a statement of condolence:
"Our deepest sympathies are with the guests, crew, their families and loved ones, and all those affected by this tragic accident."
&Beyond, the luxury tour company whose guests were aboard, confirmed the passengers were traveling under its booking. Fox News reported the aircraft was a Eurocopter EC130 B4 and that it went down around 9 a.m. near Kirish in Samburu County.
No investigating authority has been publicly named. Roger Duarte Sr.'s statement, "They are investigating the crash", is the only reference to an active probe. Key questions remain: what caused the helicopter to go down, whether mechanical failure or weather played a role, and which Kenyan or international agency is leading the investigation.
Seven people boarded that helicopter for what was supposed to be a morning safari flight. Seven families are now planning funerals. The answers owed to them should not take long to arrive.
