Stephany Hollihan was among seven people killed when a safari helicopter crashed in northern Kenya, according to reports from the Associated Press and El País.
The AP reported that the helicopter went down Wednesday morning in a remote area of Samburu County while traveling from the Loisaba Conservancy toward the Ewaso Nyiro area. The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said seven people were on board, including six passengers and the pilot.
Hollihan, who held U.S. and Ecuadorian citizenship, was traveling with her husband Michele Sensi-Contugi, Ecuador’s national intelligence director. Ecuador later confirmed that Sensi-Contugi died in the crash. The AP said five of the victims were U.S. citizens.
El País reported that the aircraft was part of a tourist excursion and that there were no survivors. The newspaper said the crash occurred near Mount Ololokwe in difficult terrain, while recovery work was complicated by the location and a fire at the scene.
Authorities in Kenya were investigating the cause of the crash. The aviation authority identified the aircraft as a Eurocopter EC130 B4, and the operator linked to the excursion said the circumstances had not yet been determined.
The reports identified other victims, including Telemundo executive José Alberto Suárez. Ecuador’s president appointed an acting director for the national intelligence center after Sensi-Contugi’s death, while officials continued assisting families and investigating the accident.
