Push Admin

Kobe Bryant's body identified among helicopter crash victims

Article (news)

Andrew MARSZAL, Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/reuters/01/29/site_1.jpg"/><figcaption>Personnel collect debris while working with investigators at the helicopter crash site of NBA star Kobe Bryant in Calabasas, California, U.S., January 28, 2020. Patrick T. Fallon, Reuters</figcaption></figure></div>LOS ANGELES -- Medical examiners identified the body of NBA legend Kobe Bryant after recovering the remains of all nine people who died in a helicopter crash near Los Angeles, officials said Tuesday.Bryant&#x27;s body was officially identified along with three others using fingerprints, two days after their helicopter crashed into a rugged hillside northwest of the city.Meanwhile federal investigators finished their inspection of the crash site, handing it over to local authorities.&quot;We are done on the site,&quot; said Jennifer Homendy, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board.Images showed investigators earlier flying drones over the accident site and manually combing through twisted, charred wreckage of the helicopter, which was scattered over a wide area of 600 feet (180 meters).Officials also used drones to replicate the helicopter&#x27;s final, fateful flight path, Homendy said.Earlier Tuesday, the coroner&#x27;s office confirmed all nine bodies have been retrieved from the site and &quot;transported to the department&#x27;s forensic science center&quot; for examination.The bodies of pilot Ara Zobayan, baseball coach John Altobelli and Sarah Chester have also been identified.The remaining five -- including Bryant&#x27;s 13-year-old daughter Gianna -- have not yet been officially identified.The death of Bryant -- a five-time NBA champion for the LA Lakers and double Olympic gold medalist -- has shocked the world, with tributes continuing to pour in Tuesday.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://sports.abs-cbn.com/nba/news/2020/01/29/analysis-nba-made-good-call-moving-lakers-clippers-game-65605">READ: NBA made a good call moving Lakers-Clippers game</a></li></ul><div>- &#x27;Pretty devastating&#x27; -</div><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/reuters/01/29/1.jpg"/><figcaption>Fans gather at Staples Center to remember the late Kobe Bryant who perished in a helicopter crash on Jan 26, 2020. Jayne Kamin-Oncea, USA TODAY Sports/Reuters.</figcaption></figure></div>Bryant, 41, was traveling with daughter Gianna and seven other passengers and crew when the Sikorsky S-76 slammed into a hillside in thick fog in Calabasas, northwest of LA.The helicopter was headed to Bryant&#x27;s Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, where his daughter was set to play.Homendy described the accident as a &quot;high energy impact crash,&quot; having earlier labelled the crash scene as &quot;pretty devastating.&quot; Homendy said the helicopter did not have a &quot;terrain awareness and warning system&quot; installed. The NTSB in 2004 had recommended to federal aviation authorities that the system be required on all helicopters with six or more passenger seats, but the recommendation was not adopted, she added.Investigators have now airlifted the helicopter&#x27;s wreckage onto trucks, which then transported it to a secure location for further examination.An iPad, cellphone and maintenance records were found among the wreckage, along with &quot;everything we would expect would be on the aircraft,&quot; said Homendy.She told journalists that the probable cause for the accident may not be confirmed for 12-18 months, when a final report will be issued.A preliminary, fact-based report is expected in 10 days.<div>- &#x27;Heartbroken and devastated&#x27; -</div><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/reuters/01/29/2.jpg"/><figcaption>The streets on L.A. are lit up with images of NBA basketball star Kobe Bryant as fans pay their respects outside the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, U.S., January 27, 2020. Mike Blake, Reuters.</figcaption></figure></div>The other passengers on the flight -- who have not yet been officially identified -- have been named as Altobelli&#x27;s wife Keri, and their daughter Alyssa, who played basketball at the same club as Gianna.Christina Mauser, an assistant coach of the Mamba girls&#x27; basketball team, was also killed along with Payton Chester, Sarah&#x27;s daughter.Mourning fans Tuesday placed bouquets of flowers at a makeshift memorial outside the gated community in Newport Beach, south of Los Angeles, where the late NBA great lived.The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said a tribute to Bryant would be included in next month&#x27;s Oscars ceremony telecast.The star, who won an Academy Award in 2018 for animated short film &quot;Dear Basketball,&quot; had been honored with a moment&#x27;s silence at the Oscars nominees luncheon on Monday.A petition for the NBA logo to be redesigned with Bryant&#x27;s likeness had reached two million signatures by Tuesday afternoon.The NBA postponed Tuesday&#x27;s Lakers game against the Los Angeles Clippers.Basketball superstar LeBron James said he was &quot;heartbroken and devastated&quot; over Bryant&#x27;s death in an emotional Instagram post, while also vowing to continue his friend&#x27;s championship legacy with the Lakers.Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic donned a jersey bearing Bryant&#x27;s initials and shirt numbers at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne.With the crash site becoming a pilgrimage point for fans, police on horseback and all-terrain vehicles have been brought in to secure the area.<div>© Agence France-Presse</div>For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com">ABS-CBN Sports website</a>.

Medical examiners identified the body of NBA legend Kobe Bryant after recovering the remains of all nine people who died in a helicopter crash near Los Angeles, officials said Tuesday.

Medical examiners identified the body of NBA legend Kobe Bryant after recovering the remains of all nine people who died in a helicopter crash near Los Angeles, officials said Tuesday.

Kobe Bryant's body identified among helicopter crash victims

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

Sports

Kobe Bryant's body identified among helicopter crash victims

Andrew MARSZAL,

Agence France-Presse

Published Jan 29, 2020 09:44 AM PHT

|

Updated Jan 29, 2020 10:17 AM PHT

Read More:

Kobe Bryant

NBA

LA Lakers

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.