More information has been revealed after seven people were killed in a helicopter crash in Kenya on Wednesday, August 19. One of the victims has now been identified as a former leader in the San Antonio TV news industry who spent over two decades in the world of TV news.
Jose Alberto Suarez, the general manager of Telemundo 31, Telemundo 49 and Telemundo Ft. Myers-Naples, has been confirmed as one of five Americans who died in the Kenya safari helicopter crash on Wednesday, Telemundo San Antonio shared in an update. He was 55 years old.
President of NBCU News Group César Conde, President of NBCU Local Valari Staab and President of Telemundo Station Group José Cancela shared the following statement on social media:
“It is with profound sorrow that we share the tragic news that José Suárez, president and general manager of Telemundo-owned stations in Orlando, Tampa and Fort Myers, lost his life in a helicopter crash in Kenya. José was an exceptional colleague and a mentor to many. He cared deeply about his teams, the communities they served, and the essential role our stations play in people’s lives. He brought energy, humor, warmth, and a strong sense of purpose to his work, and his impact extended far beyond the stations he led.”
The crash occurred at 9:13 a.m. while flying from the Losaiba Conservancy to the Waso Nyiro area in Samburu County. All seven people on board, including the pilot and six passengers were killed in the crash, AP writes. An investigation into what caused the crash is ongoing, according to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority.
NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Llamas responded to the news saying, “Jose was pure joy. A mentor and friend to so many of us.” Telemundo and NBC News anchor Jose Diaz-Balart also called Suarez a “light with a servant’s heart.”
Suarez was a native of Florida but had crisscrossed the country in his 25-year TV news career. He worked various roles at Telemundo Station Group, NBC6 and Telemundo 51 in Miami, according to Telemundo San Antonio, before taking on leadership roles at multiple stations. He previously worked as the president at Telemundo 33, Telemundo Fresno, Telemundo Las Vegas and Telemundo Utah.
He first worked in Texas in San Angelo as news director at KACB/NBC 3 (1998-2001) and as news director at KDMX-FM/KDCD-FM (2000-01), before eventually working as president at Telemundo San Antonio from 2016-19, according to Suarez’s LinkedIn.