Prominent Conservative, Kyle Forti Was One of Five Passengers Killed in Kenyan Helicopter Crash

A prominent conservative political strategist from Colorado, Kyle Forti is among the five dead after a tragic helicopter crash in Kenya.

Kyle Forti of Colorado Springs was one of four Americans who died in the crash with their Kenyan helicopter pilot. Friends revealed that Forti was in Kenya on vacation.

Their helicopter crashed on an island in Lake Turkana, in the northern part of the country last week. The cause of the accident remains unclear as authorities investigate the crash.

"We came from different political parties but I have never known a greater soul than Kyle Forti,” said lobbyist Ben Waters. “When we were on the opposite side of an issue or a candidate, we always treated each other with respect. We could always break bread afterward.”

Forti was the co-founder of the Republican political consulting firm D/CO and worked on several political campaigns. He was the manager behind Brian Watson’s campaign for state treasurer last year and Owen Hill's 2014 campaign for U.S. Senate. Forti’s colleagues say he was a world traveler and foster parent.

“He wanted to do good in Colorado,” said Jeff Hunt, director of the Centennial Institute. “I think that encapsulates him better than anything else. He wanted to be a force for good in this state and that's exactly what he was.”

He is remembered by his wife, Hope Forti and his son.