Helicopter Crash in Kenya Kills Seven, Including Five Americans

By David Okafor

A safari helicopter crash in northern Kenya on Wednesday morning resulted in the deaths of all seven people on board, including five U.S. citizens, according to local authorities and the U.S. State Department. The incident occurred at approximately 9:13 a.m. local time during a flight from Loisaba Conservancy to the Ewaso Nyiro region in Samburu County.

The helicopter, identified as a Eurocopter EC130 B4, was chartered by Lady Lori Helicopters for a tour operated by the travel firm &Beyond. Following the crash, Tropic Air Kenya deployed two helicopters to assist with search and rescue operations.

Among the deceased was José Suárez, 55, a president and general manager of several Telemundo stations in Florida. NBC Universal and Telemundo expressed their condolences in a joint statement. Another victim was Michele Sensi-Contugi, the director of Ecuador’s National Intelligence Center, who was visiting Kenya as a tourist with his wife, Stephany Hollihan, who also died in the crash. They are survived by two children.

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority has launched an investigation into the crash to determine the cause of the accident.