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A deadly crash in Kenya has left seven people dead.
Six tourists and a Kenyan pilot were killed Aug. 19 when the helicopter they were flying in crashed in a remote part of northern Kenya, local police and the U.S. State Department confirmed to NBC News.
Among those killed were five Americans, including businessman RogerDuarte, 42, and Telemundo executive José Alberto Suárez, 55.
Duarte, Suárez and the rest of their crew were flying from Loisaba Conservancy to the Ewaso Nyiro area in Samburu County before crashing in a rugged area in the foothills of Mount Ololokwe, local media reported per NBC News. The cause of the crash is still unknown.
The Kenya Red Cross posted on X that their “emergency response teams are participating in a multi-agency response effort as rescue teams work to access the crash site,” however they noted in a follow-up message that recovery efforts were “hampered by difficult terrain access and an active fire at the crash site.”
Duarte’s father Roger Duarte Sr. also confirmed his son’s death hours after the tragedy, telling Daily Mail, “I’m very devastated right now. I don’t have the words to express my feelings.”
He added, “We don’t know much about what happened. They are investigating the crash.”
Roger Duarte/Instagram
Duarte began his career in investment banking before starting his business George Stone Crab at the age of 24. The company specializes in international delivery service of stone crabs from the Florida Keys and earned him a place on Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2012. He is survived by his wife Nicole Valls Duarte and their two sons.
E! News has reached out to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority for additional information regarding the crash as well as George Stone Crab for comment but has not heard back.
José Alberto Suárez/Instagram
As for Suárez, the journalist was serving as the president and general manager of Telemundo 31, Telemundo 49 and Telemundo Ft. Myers–Naples and had more than 25 years of media experience.
“We are heartbroken to learn the tragic news that José was killed in a helicopter accident in Kenya,” NBCU Newsgroup Chairman CesarConde, NBCU Local Chairman ValariStaab, and Telemundo Station Group President JoseCancelasaid in a statement to NBC News. “José was an exceptional colleague who cared deeply about his teams, the communities they served and the important 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.”
“Our hearts are with his loved ones,” they added, “and with all of José’s colleagues and friends who are grieving this terrible loss.”
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