All 7 bodies recovered from Mt Ololokwe helicopter crash

A multi-agency search and rescue team retrieved the final three bodies on Thursday after recovering four victims shortly after the crash.

The team, comprising police officers, Kenya Red Cross personnel and members of the Loisaba Conservancy, returned to the crash site at Shabashi Hills near Mount Ololokwe early Thursday to complete the recovery operation.

The victims' remains were extensively burnt, with only a few identifiable body parts recovered from the wreckage and debris.

Samburu County Commander David Nkoroi confirmed that all the bodies had been recovered and samples collected for forensic examination.

"All the remaining bodies have been recovered. Samples have been taken for forensic examination," Nkoroi stated.

The crash scene has since been handed over to investigators as authorities seek to establish the cause of the accident.

"We have also handed over the scene to investigators after the recoveries," Nkoroi added. 

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority and the Air Accident Investigation Department are currently investigating the cause of the crash.

The victims have been identified as Kenyan pilot and African Heli Adventures director John Outram.

Also among those killed were Michele Sensi-Contugi, director of Ecuador's Strategic Intelligence Centre, and his wife, Stephany Hollihan.

Another victim was José Alberto Suárez, president and general manager of Telemundo's stations in Orlando, Tampa and Fort Myers-Naples, Florida.

His death has been mourned by the Media Owners Association of Kenya and media colleagues around the world.

Others identified through American media reports and police records include Roger Duarte, a Miami-based food entrepreneur; Henry Parra, an aviation software executive; and Adam Hlavaty, co-founder of Mrkt Group, a real estate development and branded design firm.

The remains were flown to Nanyuki and are expected to be transported to Lee Funeral Home in Nairobi for forensic analysis and DNA identification.

Plans to repatriate the victims' remains to their respective countries are expected to proceed once the identification process is complete.