FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): A DeKalb County native who was seen as a rising star in the Republican party has died.

Kyle Forti was one of five people killed Sunday in a helicopter crash in Kenya. The political consultant had moved to Colorado before the crash, which happened in a national park that Fort Wayne’s NBC reports is known as a magnet for international tourists.

“He was really a bright spot in this world, always positive, always looking out for the neighbor,” says Allen County Councilman Kyle Kerley, who was going to meet with Forti for a skiing trip in Colorado.

Forti leaves behind a wife and a son. The couple were also foster parents.

An investigation into the crash is underway.