A helicopter carrying tourists on a luxury safari in northern Kenya crashed Wednesday morning near Mount Ololokwe, killing all seven people on board, including five Americans, a rising Miami food mogul, and the head of Ecuador's intelligence service.
Roger Duarte, a 42-year-old millionaire seafood entrepreneur once dubbed the "Stone Crab King" by Bloomberg, was among the dead after the Eurocopter EC130 B4 went down in the rugged foothills of Samburu County around 9:13 a.m. local time. The charter flight, operated by Lady Lori Helicopters for luxury travel company &Beyond, had departed from Suyian Conservancy en route to the Ewaso Nyiro area when it crashed in remote, mountainous terrain, AP News reported. There were no survivors.
The other Americans killed were José Suárez, 55, president and general manager of several Telemundo-owned stations in Florida; Henry Parra and Adam Hlavaty, a married couple; and Stephany Maria Hollihan Vasconez, a U.S. dual citizen married to Michele Sensi-Contugi, the director general of Ecuador's intelligence agency. Sensi-Contugi and the pilot, Josh Outram, also died in the crash.
The cause remains under investigation. Lady Lori Helicopters said in a statement that "the cause of the accident has not yet been determined and is subject to investigation by the relevant authorities." No investigating authority has been publicly named.
Duarte's story was a distinctly American one, the son of an 82-year-old father, a kid who sold South American cigars to his dad's friends as a schoolboy, and a young man who walked away from investment banking because he wanted to build something of his own.
He launched George Stone Crab in 2008 at age 24, starting by selling stone crab claws to neighbors in Key Biscayne, Florida. By 2012, he had co-founded My Ceviche, a restaurant concept with chef Sam Gorenstein that pulled in $1 million in sales within a year from a single test location. Bloomberg profiled him in March 2013, and Forbes put him on its 30 Under 30 list in 2016.
The New York Post reported that Duarte told Bloomberg at the time:
"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."
He lived with his wife, Nicole Valls Duarte, the daughter of Felipe Valls Jr., founder of the iconic Versailles restaurant in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood, in a $2.8 million home. The couple had two children, the youngest born in November 2024.
Lee Schrager, a businessman and friend of Duarte, told Miami television station WPLG: "He had such an incredible work ethic."
Duarte's family released a statement calling themselves "devastated and heartbroken." They added:
"The magnitude of this tragedy is impossible to comprehend and there are no words to express the depth of our pain."
His father, Roger Duarte Sr., 82, spoke separately to the Daily Mail. "I'm very devastated right now," he said. "I don't have the words to express my feelings. We don't know much about what happened. They are investigating the crash."
José Suárez oversaw Telemundo-owned stations in Orlando, Tampa, and Fort Myers. NBCUniversal News Group Chairman Cesar Conde said in a memo that 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."
Michele Sensi-Contugi, described by Ecuador's presidency as a close associate of President Daniel Noboa, ran the country's National Intelligence Center, its top spy agency. Ecuador's government issued a statement on the social media platform X: "In this moment of deep sorrow, the government extends its heartfelt condolences to his family, loved ones and close associates." His wife, Stephany Hollihan Vasconez, a U.S. dual citizen, died beside him.
Henry Parra and Adam Hlavaty, a married couple, were also on board. Little public information about them has emerged beyond their identification as American citizens.
The U.S. State Department confirmed the five American deaths. A spokesperson said, "We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones on their loss." The U.S. Embassy is providing consular assistance, Fox News reported. The State Department added: "The Trump Administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans."
Lady Lori Helicopters, the operator, issued a statement expressing sympathy: "Our deepest sympathies are with the guests, crew, their families and loved ones, and all those affected by this tragic accident." The Kenya Red Cross participated in a multi-agency response effort to reach the crash site, which sat in rugged terrain that complicated access, Breitbart reported.
&Beyond, the luxury tour company whose guests filled the helicopter, confirmed the passengers were traveling under its arrangements. The Washington Examiner noted the crash site sat near Mount Ololokwe, a popular tourist destination in Kenya's northern safari corridor.
Pilot Josh Outram, described as experienced, also perished. No information about his background or flight history has been released.
Key questions remain unanswered: what caused the aircraft to go down, which authorities are leading the investigation, and what safety record Lady Lori Helicopters carries. The families left behind, including Duarte's two young children and his 82-year-old father, are waiting for answers that may be a long time coming from a remote crash site in the East African bush.
Seven people boarded a helicopter for a sightseeing flight over one of the most beautiful landscapes on earth, and none of them came home. The least their families deserve is a full, transparent accounting of why.
