Colorado Springs man killed in helicopter crash
Kyle Forti of Colorado Springs was visiting a friend in Kenya when their helicopter crashed, killing all five people onboard.
A relative of another victim told NBC News that the Americans were visiting a longtime friend in Kenya who was working to start a helicopter tourism business.
Forti was a political consultant, co-founder of his company called D/CO, and was recently a driving force behind “Growing Pueblo’s Future”, which was ultimately a successful campaign to legalize recreational marijuana inside city limits.
He was an avid traveler, documented through photos on his Facebook page.
His mother told NBC that he leaves behind a young son and a pregnant wife, Hope.
Kenyan authorities are still investigating the crash that happened over Central Island National Park along the country’s northern border.
A second helicopter brought the victims’ remains to Turkana on Monday, where they were transferred onto a plane by Kenyan Red Cross workers.
The Kenyan pilot, Capt. Mario Magonga, was among the five people killed.
According to ABC, the other victims are Anders Asher, Jesiah Burke, and Brandon Howe Stapper, all residents of San Diego.
It was Burke who invited the rest to Kenya.
