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Revealed: Popular US TV manager among 7 killed in grisly Samburu chopper crash
20th August, 2026 04:19 AM
Popular NBCUniversal journalist José Alberto Suárez, who was the president and general manager of Telemundo 31, Telemundo 49 and Telemundo Fort Myers–Naples, was among seven people who died after a tourist helicopter crashed in Samburu County on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.
Suárez was among five Americans killed when the aircraft went down near the foothills of Mount Ololokwe while carrying tourists on a safari flight through northern Kenya.
In a TV report the same day, Telemundo 31 confirmed that Suárez was among those who died and mourned him as a senior journalist and media executive who had led three Telemundo stations.
The media house described Suárez as a deeply respected leader and beloved friend.
The company also remembered him as a mentor who cared deeply about both his colleagues and the communities reached by the stations under his leadership.
“José was an exceptional colleague and mentor to many,” the memo said. “He cared deeply about his teams, the communities they served and the essential role our stations play in people’s lives.”
Suárez’s death was one of several devastating losses in the crash, which killed all seven people aboard the helicopter.
The victims included Miami restaurateur Roger Duarte, whose family confirmed his death and said they were struggling to comprehend the magnitude of the tragedy.
“The magnitude of this tragedy is impossible to comprehend, and there are no words to express the depth of our pain. We ask that you keep them all and everyone who loved them in your prayers,” Duarte’s family said.
The family also appealed for privacy as relatives of the victims came to terms with the sudden loss.
The crash also claimed the lives of Ecuador’s intelligence chief Michele Sensi-Contugi and his wife Stephany Holliham Yeaza, according to Ecuadorian authorities.
Ecuador’s Transport Minister Roberto Luque mourned the couple, particularly remembering the family members they left behind.
“Today Michele and Stephany left us too soon. Thinking of their family, especially their children and parents,” Luque wrote.
Fatal safari flight
The helicopter was carrying six passengers and one pilot when it crashed in a rugged area near Mount Ololokwe, a popular tourist destination in northern Kenya.
The aircraft was flying from Loisaba Conservancy towards the Ewaso Nyiro area in Samburu County when the accident occurred at about 9:13 a.m., according to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority.
The helicopter was a Eurocopter EC130 B4, an aircraft commonly used for passenger and tourism operations.
The crash occurred in difficult terrain at the foothills of Mount Ololokwe, complicating the emergency response and recovery operation.
The impact triggered a fire at the crash site, forcing emergency teams to contend with both the rugged landscape and burning wreckage as they attempted to reach the victims.
The Kenya Red Cross deployed emergency teams alongside other responders as part of a multi-agency operation.
“Search and recovery efforts are ongoing, hampered by difficult terrain access and an active fire at the crash site,” the Kenya Red Cross said.
The organisation said its teams were working alongside other agencies as they attempted to access the remote crash site and recover those who had died.
Local authorities confirmed that all seven people aboard the aircraft had died.
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority subsequently said an investigation had been launched to determine what caused the aircraft to crash.
Author
Steve Ireri
Steve is a senior writer with over four years of experience in digital journalism. His focus is on the showbiz and human interest stories. Emails: [email protected] , [email protected]
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