Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, and seven others died on Sunday morning after the helicopter they were traveling in plummeted to the ground and burst into flames Recovery efforts have been ongoing ever since, but now authorities have found all of the victims that had been traveling on the helicopter.
The LA County Medical Examiner-Coroner released a statement on Tuesday, revealing that all nine bodies had been recovered. Three had initially been found on Sunday, but the search had to be paused due to darkness and safety concerns.
Along with Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, the other victims in the crash were John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli, Sarah Chester, Payton Chester, Christina Mauser, and the pilot, Ara Zobayan.
“On Sunday afternoon, personnel from the department’s Special Operations Response Team (SORT) recovered three bodies from the helicopter wreckage located in the 4200 block of Las Virgenes Road in Calabasas.
The next day, the search continued for the other six helicopter occupants. Soon after, their bodies were located, removed from the crash site and transported to the department’s Forensic Science Center.
Currently, investigators are actively working on identifying the decedents. Additionally, body examinations are in progress.”
According to the press release, the Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner will “provide immediate updates on the names of the decedents as soon as they are officially verified and their next of kin have been notified.”
The NTSB is expected to issue a preliminary report within about 10 days of a crash, which will provide a summary of what the investigators learned. A full report might take up to a year.
