A luxury safari getaway ended in unbelievable tragedy when an exclusive charter flight suddenly spiraled into disaster high above northern Kenya’s rugged wilderness.
The charter flight was transporting a tightly knit group of high-profile travelers through breathtaking terrain on Wednesday morning. But what was supposed to be a dream vacation transformed into a heartbreaking mystery in a matter of minutes.
As emergency responders descended upon the remote crash zone, shocking details began emerging about who was on board. Authorities are now racing to unravel how such an elite journey ended in a fiery catastrophe.
A tragic helicopter crash in Kenya has claimed seven lives, including prominent American executives and top Ecuadorian officials. As investigators search the remote fire-ravaged wreckage, devastated families are breaking their silence over the catastrophic safari flight. | Source: X/KenyaRedCross
A Charter Flight Turns Deadly
The Eurocopter EC130 B4, registration 5Y-GXM, took off from Loisaba Conservancy on the morning of August 19, 2026, headed for the Ewaso Nyiro area of Samburu County in northern Kenya.
As emergency responders descended upon the remote crash zone, shocking details began emerging about who was on board. Authorities are now racing to unravel how such an elite journey ended in a fiery catastrophe. | Source: Youtube/@WPLGLocal10
At approximately 9:13 a.m. local time, the aircraft crashed in the rugged foothills near Mount Ololokwe. All seven people on board, six tourists and their pilot, were killed instantly.
Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft plummeting directly toward the earth near the remote foothills of Mount Ololokwe. | Source: Youtube/@WPLGLocal10
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority confirmed there were no survivors. The helicopter was operating a charter flight for guests of luxury tour company &Beyond.
Upon impact, the helicopter burst into intense flames, completely destroying the fuselage and leaving the site in ruins. Kenya Red Cross teams faced immense obstacles during recovery efforts due to an active fire and treacherous terrain. | Source: X/KenyaRedCross
Seven Lives Lost in the Wreckage
Five of the victims were American. Roger Edward Duarte, 42, was a Miami restaurateur and Forbes 30 Under 30 alum who founded George Stone Crab.
Emmy-winning media executive José Alberto Suárez, 55, served as president and general manager of Telemundo 31, Telemundo 49, and Telemundo Ft. Myers–Naples. He had spent 18 years with Telemundo and NBC stations, according to NBC Miami.
Adam Martin Hlavaty, 42, was a real estate executive and vice president of development for Benihana, who also served on the board of the Coral Gables Museum.
Henry Parra, 55, was a software executive and co-founder of Trax USA, an aviation maintenance software company based in Coral Gables.
Married South Florida couple Henry Parra and Adam Hlavaty, who wed in 2017, were also killed while enjoying the safari. | Source: Facebook/sammie.ryvonne
The fifth American victim, Stephany Maria Hollihan Vásconez, 42, was Ecuadorian-American and the founder of SensiStudio, a design and product lab supporting artisans in Ecuador. She studied fashion design at Istituto Marangoni in Milan.
SensiStudio founder, Stephany Maria Hollihan Vásconez, is pictured with her children. Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa has pledged that he and his wife will personally care for the two young children left behind. | Source: Instagram/danielnoboaok
Her husband, Michele Sensi-Contugi Ycaza, 44, was an Italian-Ecuadorian politician and businessman who had served as head of Ecuador’s National Intelligence Center since 2024.
Michele Sensi-Contugi and his wife, SensiStudio founder Stephany Hollihan Vásconez, sharing a loving moment together on the water during happier times. | Source: Instagram/danielnoboaok
The seventh victim was the pilot, Josh Outram, a fourth-generation Kenyan with more than 15 years of flying experience. He founded and directed African Heli Adventures and had also worked in aerial wildlife conservation.