Kobe Bryant & Daughter, Gianna, Die In Helicopter Crash In California

Moms.com

By Deb Goncalves

Published Jan 26, 2020

Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna, 13, die in helicopter crash in California with 3 other people. Story is still developing.

Credit: USA TODAY High School Sports

UPDATE: 1/27/20- The flight was given permission to take off even in the midst of foggy weather. Others killed in the crash were: the wife of John Altobelli, Keri, and daughter Alyssa, Christina Mauser, Sarah Chester, Payton Chester and Ara Zobayan.

UPDATE 1/26/20 6:02pm - TMZ has reported that along with Kobe and his daughter, 7 other people died in the aircraft tragedy.

UPDATE 1/26/20 5:22pm - Baseball coach from Orange Coast College, John Altobelli, was one of the other passengers on the flight.

UPDATE: Flight was headed to Mamba Academy for a basketball practice. The Academy is located in nearby Thousand Oaks.

Kobe Bryant, star basketball player from the Los Angeles Lakers, dies in helicopter crash with daughter, Gianna, along with 3 other people, who are yet to be identified. The crash occurred Sunday morning and it's reported to have had no survivors. It is unclear as to why the Sikorsky S-76 helicopter fail to complete its flight.

Los Angeles County Fire Captain, Tony Imbrenda, stated that the flight crashed in Southern California. Information regarding its take off and destination are still unknown. Local bike riders first saw the helicopter having troubles. Investigators are still trying to find out whether or not the pilot tried to communicate the aircrafts distress.

The crash created a fire in the area, which local fire department officials are still trying to keep under control. TMZ was the first news outlet to report the incident. The helicopter belonged to Kobe, it had his logo on the side. The tail number of the chopper matched the number of the aircraft he has owned for years.

Many gathered around the crash sight to see what was going on. Fans paid respect and shared their thoughts with news reporters about the late basketball player.

Kobe Bryant was 41-years-old, married to Vanessa for almost 19 years. They shared four beautiful girls.

Natalia, Bryant's oldest daughter, just turned 17. Gianna, his second daughter, who was on the flight with him, was 13; Bianka, 3, his third child. Capri was born in June 2019. He shares his daughters with Vanessa Bryant, whom he married in 2001. They filed for divorce in 2011, but decided to reconcile and called off the divorce in 2013.

Bryant recently congratulates LeBron James for passing him on the Basketball's All-Time Scoring List, raising him to third place.

Bryant collaborated with After-School All-Stars to promote academic success and encourage children to set goals, believe in their dreams and achieve whatever they wanted. He believed in giving back to the youth of this generations, so they would have a better future.

More is still developing in regards to the crash and the people involved in this tragedy. Stay tune for updates on this devastating situation. Our thoughts and prayers go to his family and friends, as well as, to others who are currently affected by the crash.