A millionaire seafood entrepreneur and former Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree was among five Americans killed in a helicopter crash in northern Kenya on Wednesday morning. The crash also claimed the lives of the pilot and three other passengers.
Roger Duarte, 42, the founder of George Stone Crab and a father of two, died in the incident. Also among the Americans on board were Telemundo executive José Suárez and the married couple Henry Parra and Adam Hlavaty. The pilot, Josh Outram, was also killed.
Duarte, who was married to Nicole Valls Duarte, daughter of Versailles restaurant founder Felipe Valls Jr., had recently welcomed his second child in November 2024. His family released a statement expressing devastation and heartbreak over the magnitude of the tragedy.
In a career that began with selling crab claws to neighbors in Key Biscayne, Florida, Duarte launched his first business, George Stone Crab, in 2008 at age 24, after leaving investment banking. He told Bloomberg in 2013 that he felt his career at an investment bank was not going to lead to growth and he wasn't interested in an MBA, opting instead to start his own venture.
He went on to co-launch the restaurant My Cerviche with chef Sam Gorenstein in 2012, which reportedly achieved $1 million in sales in its first year from a test store. Bloomberg dubbed him the "Stone Crab King" before his inclusion on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2016.
The Crash
The helicopter, a Eurocopter Ec130 B4, crashed near Mount Ololokwe in Samburu County. The cause of the crash is currently under investigation. Lady Lori Helicopters, the operator of the aircraft, confirmed it was on a charter flight from the Suyian Conservancy to Mount Ololokwe when the accident occurred. The luxury tour agency &Beyond confirmed its guests were on board the flight.
Also killed in the crash were Michele Sensi-Contugi, director general of Ecuador’s intelligence agency, and his wife, Stephany Maria Hollihan Vasconez, who held dual U.S. citizenship. Duarte's father, Roger Duarte Sr., 82, told the Daily Mail that the family was awaiting details from the ongoing investigation.