Three San Diegans were among the four Americans killed in a helicopter crash Sunday at a national park in Kenya, authorities said Monday.
The three were Brandon Stapper, Asher Burke and David Baker. The fourth man was Kyle Forti of Denver, Colorado. The U.S. Embassy announced the names of three of the four American victims Monday. Baker’s identity was confirmed by Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey in a Facebook post.
Baker, a Coronado resident, was a personal friend to Bailey.
“Dave was an amazing family man, businessman, and adventurer,” he wrote. “He had an infectious laugh and made friends wherever he went. Dave lived life to the fullest.”
The crash happened at Central Island National Park around 8:30 p.m. local time Sunday, according to the Associated Press. The wreckage was found around 3 a.m. Monday, all four men and the pilot were killed.
Stapper was a local entrepreneur. He founded 858 Graphics, a printing company, and several others. He was named as SanDiego.com’s “Top 10 Entrepreneurs to Watch” in 2015 along with Burke.
Stapper and Burke were closed friends, family members told the Associated Press.
Before founding Bland, a brand incubator with $100 million in annual revenue, Burke worked as a political consultant and was the campaign manager for state Senator Brian Jones when Jones was running for the state assembly, according to his LinkedIn profile.
The cause of the crash was still under investigation.
