- Miami entrepreneur and seafood businessman Roger Duarte was killed in a helicopter crash in northern Kenya on Wednesday.
- Duarte, 42, was travelling with six others when the Eurocopter EC130 B4 crashed near Mount Ololokwe in Samburu County at around 9:13 am local time; all seven on board, including the Kenyan pilot, died.
- The aircraft was operating a charter flight from the Loisaba Conservancy toward the Ewaso Nyiro area, and Kenyan aviation authorities are investigating the cause.
- Other American victims included Telemundo executive José Alberto Suárez, as well as Henry Parra and Adam Hlavaty; Ecuador's intelligence chief Michele Sensi-Contugi and his wife Stephany Hollihan Vásconez, a dual US-Ecuadorian citizen, were also killed.
- The operator, Lady Lori Helicopters, expressed sympathies: "Our deepest sympathies are with the guests, crew, their families and loved ones, and all those affected by this tragic accident."
- Duarte's death marks a significant loss to Miami's food and hospitality industry; he began selling South American cigars as a schoolboy and left investment banking in 2008 at age 24 to launch George Stone Crab.
- He co-founded My Ceviche in 2012 with chef Sam Gorenstein; the test store generated $1 million in first-year sales, and Bloomberg later called him the "Stone Crab King."
- In 2016, Forbes named him to its 30 Under 30 Food list; he later served as CEO of Hospitality Capital Partners. His family said they were "devastated and heartbroken," and he lived in a $2.8 million mansion with his wife and two children.
Roger Duarte, a prominent Miami food entrepreneur, tragically died in a helicopter crash in northern Kenya on Wednesday, along with six others, including a Kenyan pilot. The crash occurred at around 9:13 am local time near Mount Ololokwe while the Eurocopter EC130 B4 was on a charter flight from the Loisaba Conservancy to the Ewaso Nyiro area.12345
Duarte, 42, was known for his significant contributions to Miami's food and hospitality industry. He transitioned from investment banking to entrepreneurship, launching his first business, George Stone Crab, at the age of 24. In 2012, he co-founded My Ceviche with chef Sam Gorenstein, which quickly gained popularity, generating $1 million in sales in its first year. Bloomberg recognized him as the “Stone Crab King”, and in 2016, he was named to Forbes' 30 Under 30 Food list.1011121314151617181920
The crash also claimed the lives of other notable individuals, including Telemundo executive José Alberto Suárez, and Ecuador's intelligence chief Michele Sensi-Contugi and his wife, Stephany Hollihan Vásconez. Lady Lori Helicopters, which operated the flight, expressed condolences, stating, “Our deepest sympathies are with the guests, crew, their families and loved ones, and all those affected by this tragic accident.” Duarte's family expressed their devastation, saying, “The magnitude of this tragedy is impossible to comprehend, and there are no words to express the depth of our pain.”6789
“The Eurocopter EC130 B4 went down near Mount Ololokwe in Samburu County at 9:13 am local time, and Kenyan aviation authorities are investigating the cause. Duarte, 42, had built George Stone Crab and My Ceviche, and was called the 'Stone Crab King' by Bloomberg.”
