In a tragic turn of events, Roger Duarte, celebrated chief executive and Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, was among the seven individuals who perished in a helicopter crash during a safari in Kenya on Wednesday.
Renowned for his Midas touch in the seafood industry, 42-year-old Duarte, hailed from Miami, Florida. He resided in a lavish $2.8 million mansion with his wife and their two young sons, embodying the American Dream through hard work and entrepreneurship.
The heartbreaking news was confirmed by his grief-stricken father, Roger Duarte Sr., who spoke with the Daily Mail just hours following the incident.
“I’m very devastated right now,” said the elder Duarte, his voice heavy with emotion at 82. “I don’t have the words to express my feelings.”
He continued by acknowledging the uncertainty surrounding the crash, “We don’t know much about what happened,” he admitted, adding that investigations are underway to uncover the details of this tragic accident.
José Suárez, the president and general manager of several Telemundo-owned stations in Florida, also died in the crash, according to NBC, where he also previously worked.
The 55-year-old executive was remembered by NBC as ‘a visionary leader committed to expanding and growing Telemundo’s markets’ during his 18-year career with the company.
Suárez and Duarte were among the group of six tourists, including four Americans, who were on the ill-fated safari on Wednesday morning.
They were flying from the Loisaba Conservancy to the Ewaso Nyiro area in Samburu County when the helicopter plummeted to the ground in the rugged foothills of Mount Ololokwe at 9.13am, according to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority.
All six of the tourists on board, along with the Kenyan pilot, perished in the crash. The cause of the tragedy is not yet known.
Forbes 30 under 30 chief executive Roger Duarte has been named as one of the seven people who have died in a safari helicopter crash in Kenya. He is pictured with his wife Nicole Valls
Duarte, 42, was a popular and highly successful seafood entrepreneur from Miami, Florida, where he lived in a $2.8 million mansion, pictured above, with his wife and two young sons
Duarte was among a group of six tourists on board the chartered helicopter, which was flying from the Loisaba Conservancy to the Ewaso Nyiro area in Samburu County for a wildlife safari on Wednesday morning when it crashed at 9.13am. The scene is shown above
Duarte left a lucrative career in investment banking at the age of just 24 to start his own business – George Stone Crab, an international delivery service of stone crabs from the Florida Keys.
Duarte is shown in his LinkedIn picture
The business earned him a place in the Forbes 30 under 30 list for 2016, and the magazine praised his company for becoming ‘the largest distributor of Florida stone crabs to Latin America.’
He also founded two more Miami-based food businesses, My Ceviche and Zuuk Mediterranean Kitchen, according to his LinkedIn profile.
The self-made millionaire has been pictured on the red carpet in Miami with his wife, Nicole Valls, 43, who he was married to for almost five years.
They had built a stunning life in their four-bedroom, four-bathroom mansion in the affluent Coral Gables neighborhood located close to downtown Miami.
Duarte appeared to have gone on the trip to Kenya with a group of friends, who have been named by local press. The Mail has not yet verified their identities.
The helicopter crashed in the foothills of Mount Ololokwe, which is home to roaming wild leopards and elephants, making it a popular destination for wildlife tours.
Duarte’s father told the Daily Mail he is ‘devastated’ by the news of his son’s death
The aircraft plummeted to the ground in the rugged foothills of Mount Ololokwe in northern Kenya at 9.13am, according to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority
Duarte left a lucrative career in investment banking at the age of just 24 to start his own business – George Stone Crab, an international delivery service of crabs from the Florida Keys
The aircraft, a Eurocopter EC130 B4 owned by local company Lady Lori Helicopters, was carrying guests with travel company &Beyond.
Lady Lori Helicopters said in a statement that the aircraft was operating a charter flight when it crashed.
Tropic Air Kenya, a local safari operator, said it dispatched two of its helicopters to aid search and rescue operations.
The Kenya Red Cross also said that its emergency response teams were ‘participating in a multiagency response effort as rescue teams work to access the crash site.’
Helicopter crashes are becoming increasingly frequent in Kenya, which has a vibrant tourism industry dependent on domestic carriers to ferry visitors to distant locations.