Four Americans and a local pilot were killed in a helicopter crash Sunday night in Central Island National Park in Lake Turkana in Kenya shortly after takeoff.
“A rescue team was dispatched immediately and they arrived at the Central Island at around 11:20 p.m. and located the wreckage at 3:20 a.m. with no survivors,” said Gilbert M. Kibe, director general of the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority.
The helicopter was headed towards Lobolo Camp on the mainland, alongside another helicopter that managed to land safely, when the accident occurred. KCAA said a rescue team was dispatched immediately, but when it recovered the wreckage, there were no survivors.
The U.S. embassy identified three of the Americans: Anders Asher Jesiah Burke, Brandon Howe Stapper, and Kyle John Forti. The Kenyan authorities said they would release full details of the deceased after the families had been contacted.
Officials say they do not know what caused the crash but will continue to investigate. Crashes have become more frequent in Kenya recently. Just last month, a plane crashed heading toward Lodwar near Lake Turkana, killing three Americans.
