Denver Man Darcy Belanger Killed In Ethiopian Plane Crash

DENVER (CBS4)- A Denver man is among the 157 victims killed in the plane crash Sunday in Ethiopia. Darcy Belanger was on a charity mission to Africa when the plane crashed.

Belanger, 46, was an executive with PCL Construction. According to the Edmonton-based company, Belanger was on a mission to address hunger and poverty.

He was also director of strategic initiatives and a founding member of the organization known as Parvati.org. He was headed the United Nations Environment Assembly in Kenya to meet with environmental ministers.

Parvati posted video of a message Belanger recorded on his way to Africa. It was recorded at the airport in Washington D.C.

PCL Construction officials say Belanger had lived in Denver for two years and was the company's U.S. director of professional development.

The Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 plane crashed shortly after takeoff outside Addis Ababa, killing all 157 people on board. Five months earlier, a similar Indonesian Lion Air jet plunged into the ocean, killing 189.

Several nations, but not the United States, have grounded the Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft following Sunday's crash in Ethiopia.