๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ง ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ก
Photo Courtesy Of The Eastleigh Voice.
Ecuadorโs intelligence chief Michele Sensi-Contugi and his wife, fashion designer Stephany Hollihan, were among seven people killed after a tourist helicopter crashed near Mount Ololokwe in Samburu County on Wednesday morning.
The helicopter was carrying six passengers and one pilot, and all seven people on board died, according to Kenyan authorities.
The crash occurred at about 9:13 a.m. local time as the aircraft was operating a charter flight in the Samburu region.
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said the Eurocopter EC130 B4 was flying from the Loisaba Conservancy towards the Ewaso Nyiro area when it crashed near Mount Ololokwe.
The U.S. State Department confirmed that five of those killed were American citizens. A spokesperson said the U.S. Embassy was in contact with Kenyan authorities and was providing consular assistance to the victims’ families.
โWe extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones on their loss,โ the spokesperson said.
Among the victims was Michele Sensi-Contugi, 44, the director of Ecuador’s National Intelligence Centre. His wife, Stephany Hollihan, was also killed. Hollihan was a U.S.-Ecuadorian citizen.Ecuador’s government confirmed Sensi-Contugi’s death and expressed condolences to his family and loved ones.
President Daniel Noboa subsequently declared three days of national mourning.Sensi-Contugi was appointed head of Ecuador’s intelligence service in January 2024.
He was considered a close ally of President Noboa and had previously served in his government.Hollihan was a fashion designer and founder of Sensi Studio, a fashion brand associated with Ecuadorian designs and traditional materials.
Another victim was Josรฉ Alberto Suรกrez, a senior Telemundo executive in the United States.
Telemundo Executive Josฤ Alberto Suarez. Photo Courtesy of LA Times.
Other victims included Miami restaurateur Roger Edward Duarte, Adam Martin Hlavaty and Henry Parra.
The Kenyan pilot was identified as Josh Outram. Kenyan police confirmed the identities of the seven victims.
Pilot Josh Outram.
Company responds
The helicopter was operated by Lady Lori Helicopters, a Kenyan charter company.
The company confirmed that one of its aircraft had been involved in the accident and said it was cooperating with authorities investigating the crash.
โOur deepest sympathies are with the guests, crew, their families and loved ones, and all those affected by this tragic accident,โ the company said.
The crash site was in a rugged area near Mount Ololokwe, a well-known tourist destination in Samburu.
Rescue teams, including the Kenya Red Cross, responded to the scene, where smoke and fire were reported around the wreckage.Kenya’s Air Accident Investigation Department is investigating the crash.
The cause of the accident has not yet been established.
The incident comes amid a history of fatal helicopter crashes in Kenya.
In February 2026, six people, including a member of parliament, were killed in a helicopter crash in Nandi County.
In April 2024, military chief General Francis Omondi Ogolla and nine other people died when a Kenya Defence Forces helicopter crashed in western Kenya. Two people survived the accident.
