All the victims of helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant
A baseball coach, two teenage girls and their parents, and the pilot were among the victims of the helicopter crash that killed basketball legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter on Sunday.
Here is what we know so far about the victims.
Authorities have not yet officially identified all the victims but family and friends have shared their grief in public announcements or postings on social media.
Kobe and Gianna Bryant
FILE – In this July 26, 2018 file photo former Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna watch during the U.S. national championships swimming meet in Irvine, California. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Bryant, 41, died in the crash along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna as they were heading from Orange County, where he lives, to a youth basketball academy — Mamba Academy — northwest of Los Angeles.
College baseball coach and family
A makeshift memorial was created on home plate Orange Coast College baseball field in Costa Mesa, Calif. on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020 for Orange Coast College baseball Coach Altobelli, his wife Keri and daughter Alyssa who were killed in the helicopter crash that also killed former Lakers star Kobe Bryant. (Leonard Ortiz/The Orange County Register via AP)
The college confirmed their deaths in a statement.
“John meant so much to not only Orange Coast College, but to baseball,” the college’s athletic director Jason Kehler said in a statement. “He truly personified what it means to be a baseball coach. The passion that he put into the game, but more importantly his athletes, was second to none — he treated them like family.”
Christina Mauser
With heavy hearts, the Sinatra Big Band announces the sudden loss of #ChristinaMauser, Frank Sinatra Tribute Singer Matt Mauser’s wife. Christina played a big role behind the scenes of the Sinatra Big Band, and will be deeply missed. Thank you for your love and support. pic.twitter.com/TZKk6Yp2JR
— Matt Mauser Music (@sinatrabigband) January 27, 2020
Mauser, 38, was the assistant coach for Gianni Bryant’s Mamba Academy basketball team.
“I got three small kids and am trying to figure out how to navigate life with three kids and no mom,” her husband Matt told NBC news.
Sarah and Payton Chester
As folks mourn the loss of Kobe Bryant, I want to take a moment to remember two gorgeous human beings who were with him,…
Posted by Todd Schmidt on Sunday, January 26, 2020
Sarah and Payton Chester, a mother and daughter, lived in Orange County and died in the crash, family and friends said.
“They had to get on the helicopter as a convenience today, they usually drove by car,” Payton’s grandmother Catherine George told NBC.
Pilot Ara Zobayan
This undated photo provided by Group 3 Aviation shows helicopter pilot Ara Zobayan, who was at the controls of the helicopter that crashed in Southern California, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020, killing all nine aboard including former Lakers star Kobe Bryant. Location is not provided. (Group 3 Aviation via AP)
Ara Zobayan, a commercial helicopter pilot and flight instructor, was flying Bryant’s private chopper when it crashed into a hillside near Los Angeles and burst into flames, according to media report and tributes posted online.
