Miami restaurateur was among the 7 people killed in a Kenya helicopter crash

The family of Miami restaurateur Roger Duarte is devastated and heartbroken after he and six others were killed in a safari helicopter crash in northern Kenya. The crash occurred Wednesday morning while the helicopter was flying from the Loisaba Conservancy to the Ewaso Nyiro area in Samburu County. The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority is investigating the cause of the crash.

US State Department officials stated that five of those killed were US citizens. Duarte's family expressed their pain and asked for prayers. Notable among the victims were an executive with Spanish-language network Telemundo and the director of Ecuador’s national intelligence service. Both were tourists visiting Kenya. Other passengers included a South Florida real estate executive, a U.S. Navy veteran with an aviation maintenance company, and the pilot of the helicopter, who founded Africa Heli Adventures.

The crash occurred in a rugged area near Mount Ololokwe, a popular tourist destination in Kenya. Safari helicopter crashes in the region have become increasingly common due to the country's thriving tourism industry.