(Image source from: 6abc.com)
NBA Basketball icon Kobe Bryant, 41, who has spent twenty years with the Lakers has been reported killed on Sunday morning. The legendary basketball ball star is said to be travelling in the helicopter that has crashed in the midst of the foggy conditions and has burst into flames in the hills above Calabasas, California.
Bryant was in a private helicopter with other people when the crash has taken place. It has been said that the crash has killed nine people which included the pilot, as said by the Los Angeles County sheriff Alex Villanueva, during a news conference.
It has also been identified that the daughter of Kobe Bryant, Gianna who is 13 years old has also died in the crash along with Kobe Bryant.
The president of the United States, Donald Trump has posted in his twitter handle about the legendary basketball player and has shared his condolences mentioning that although Kobe Bryant was one of the great basketball players of all time, he was just getting started in his life and has described the loss of Gianna who is the daughter of Kobe Bryant, is even more devastating.
Kobe Bryant, despite being one of the truly great basketball players of all time, was just getting started in life. He loved his family so much, and had such strong passion for the future. The loss of his beautiful daughter, Gianna, makes this moment even more devastating....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 26, 2020
The former President of the United States has shared the condolences on his twitter handle
Kobe was a legend on the court and just getting started in what would have been just as meaningful a second act. To lose Gianna is even more heartbreaking to us as parents. Michelle and I send love and prayers to Vanessa and the entire Bryant family on an unthinkable day.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 26, 2020
The Los Angeles County coroner’s office has said on Sunday that the efforts of recovery are said to taking several days based on the condition of the crash site and the site being a remote location.
The roads that are leading to the site has been shut down by the officials as crowd of visitors were trying to get there.
The flight records that are publicly available states that the helicopter which is a Sikorsky S- 768 that was built in 1991 has departed the John Wayne Airport at 9:06 in the morning on Sunday.
The crash is said to have occurred shortly before 10 in the morning near Las Virgenes Road and Willow Glen Street in Calabasas. A call has been received by the authorities at 9:47 am to which the officials have immediately responded.
The crash is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board. The database of the National Transport Safety Board does not show any prior accidents or incidents for the aircraft.
The official identification of the victims is not yet done and the Los Angeles County coroner’s office is working in order to retrieve the bodies. However, it has been confirmed by the Orange coast College that John Altobelli who is a baseball coach was also one among the others who have died in an air crash.
The school has said in a statement that John Altobelli has been a mentor and coach for twenty seven years and has helped the students for earning the scholarships in order to play at the four- year colleges. The school has added saying that the baseball coach and mentor has treated the players like family.
The university officials have said that the wife of John Altobelli, Keri and his daughter Alyssa were also the victims of the crash.
By Shrithika Kushangi
