RIEP Monte Vianna

 

AFRICANA

STAFF MAN

KILLED IN

AIR CRASH

THE FOLLOWING is an obituary I was not able to write because I was away somewhere in the world on an assignment and by the time I got back my friend and colleague Monte Vianna was already dead, buried and with the angels. He was one of the most beloved of young men and there would not have been a single person alive who would have one bad word to say about him. With his departure, a dark cloud hung around almost everyone who knew Monte.

By John Eames (former editor of the Sunday Nation and Africana magazine)

(Africana was a popular magazine published by the Nation Group)

One of the magazine’s staff writers was killed in a light aircraft crash in Kenya’s Tsavo National Park in August. Monte Vianna was just 25, but had long been regarded as one of the most foremost tourism and wildlife reporters in the country; he was the specialist writer on the subject for the Nation group of newspapers which includes Africana.

Quite predictably, the crash and the five-day search for the aircraft caught the imagination of the Kenyan people. It built up into the biggest air-sea-land search ever mounted here and came to the attention of President Jomo Kenyatta himself.

The plane was found eventually near Tsavo’s Buchuma Gate entrance on the Nairobi-Mombasa Road; it was 70 miles off course to Mombasa. Monte had been killed on impact but the pilot Kamal Sabharwal had miraculously survived and was found wandering around, badly concussed, in fear of the animals but only superficially hurt.

After the drama of the search came a flood of tributes. Monte’s two chief attributes were a total dedication to wildlife preservation and tourism promotion, and an easy-going, generous personality were described in messages of sympathy from the President downwards.

We worked closely, of course, and in fact were together on an African assignment at the time of the accident, which is why I must add the last obituary:

Monte was either too young or unable to assume any cynical detachment in his job. He was still wide-eyed about Kenya’s natural attractions and entirely involved in the cause of promoting them locally and through his string with German travel magazines.

His mild, almost shy, manner helped considerably and he moved easily in areas of sometimes touchy sensitivity. He became trusted and well-informed.

A second crusade developed a few weeks before his death. He was promoted to run the Nation’s Mombasa office and he immediately became heavily engaged in providing blanket news coverage of his vast Coast territory, administering the office and building circulation. He turned up everywhere, frequently air-ferried by his friend Kamal, who was also an expert photographer.

Monte was busy, but there was always time for a specific Africana job, or to send up a feature on his own initiative, or for a personal favour. For instance, a week before the accident, he agreed to meet Joy Adamson at the airport for me and settle her in a hotel. Typically, he spent the entire weekend as her chauffeur and general handyman. But he was amused by it all and – anyway, as he said, it was “a good story”.

The following weekend I was to go to Lamu for Africana. I told him and his immediate response was an offer to organise the flight. Kamal subsequently hired a tiny Cherokee 140 and Monte came along to take aerial pictures for me.

We explored the coastline at low altitude, earmarking stretches of magnificent empty beaches for ourselves and diving to inspect huge colonies of sea birds on coral atolls close to Lamu.

I remained on the island and the others flew out an hour before dusk, having been delayed by a boat breakdown in the channel between Lamu and Manda Island, where the airstrip was located. Mombasa control heard from the pilot after dark, around 7 pm. There was no hint of anxiety, and he expected to sight Mombasa at any moment. After that, there was no further contact.

The search began at first light with the Kenya armed forces engaged and scores of civilian volunteers as well. The operation was thorough and intensified rather than fell off as the days passed.

Eventually, the wreckage was found, with Monte’s body strapped fast to the upturned cockpit. Tracker dogs were brought in and 24 hours later, Kamal was found – badly sunburned, parched and delirious. He had survived on berries and dew on the leaves.

They might have landed halfway to Mombasa; perhaps at Malindi as the light began to fail that even and grey rain clouds built up. But they had a flying assignment early the following morning. They were to cover the foundation of the first safari lodge in the Taita Hills.

This was a priority assignment for Monte; and he was looking forward to it. The lodge would help open up the area to tourism. It was an important development in his special field – in his private territory. It was “a good story”.

Born in Mombasa on July 7, 1946 to Manuel and Anna Vianna, his siblings include Ernest Vianna who lives in Toronto Canada, the late Xavier and Alfred and his sisters were Helen, Zeena and Monica. His youngest brother was Manu. The Viannas were a highly motivated, sports-minded and adventurous family. Monte was just 25 years old when he met with the accident.