The shock of loss hit Emily Were in the most unexpected way—through her phone screen. The widow of Lt. Col. (Rtd) George Were discovered that her husband had died in a helicopter crash while she was scrolling through social media.
George Were was piloting a Eurocopter 350 (5YDSB) owned by Corporate Helicopters on February 28 when it plunged into a forest in Mosop, Nandi County. All six people on board, including Emurua Dikirr MP Johana Ngeno, Nick Kosgey, Carlos Keter, and Amos Rotich, died instantly.
During the funeral held on Saturday, March 14, in Nyakach, Kisumu County, Emily recalled the heart-wrenching moment she learned of the tragedy.
"I learned about my husband's death via social media. I had the phone in my hand, and I started seeing the news. I tried to call Corporate Helicopters, and they were devastated. They could not pick up the phone," she said, describing the helplessness she felt.
Emily said the news confirmed her deepest fears and prompted immediate action to protect her children from the shock.
"When I realised it, my first instinct was to call my children. Because of the way social media is, they were going to see it within the next ten minutes or so. I tasked one of my sons to call the other children," she added.
Later, Corporate Helicopters reached out to confirm the loss, but by then, Emily said she had already come to terms with the reality.
Amid the family’s sorrow, Emily highlighted the support she received from President William Ruto and Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, who arranged for her children to fly back from abroad despite tensions in the Middle East. She thanked the leaders for the assistance during their time of grief.
George Were’s funeral came a week after other victims of the crash were laid to rest. MP Johana Ngeno was buried on March 6 in his Mogondo home in Emurua Dikirr, Narok County, alongside Nick Kosgey, Carlos Keter, and Amos Rotich.
