Investigators Still Searching For 6 Bodies At Kobe Bryant's Helicopter Crash Scene
Jan. 27 2020, Updated 6:49 p.m. ET
Six bodies still remain at the crash scene that killed Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna and seven others, RadarOnline.com can report.
The Los Angeles County Coroner told RadarOnline.com in a statement that only three bodies have so far been recovered over the past 24 hours since that fatal collision.
"Personnel from the department’s Special Operations Response Team (SORT) are advancing their efforts today in recovering bodies from a helicopter crash that occurred in Calabasas on Sunday," the LA coroner said.
"Yesterday afternoon, investigators recovered three bodies from the helicopter wreckage located in the 4200 block of Las Virgenes Road in Calabasas. However, efforts were suspended due to darkness and safety concerns," the coroner explained.
"Last night, the bodies retrieved from the site were transported to the department’s Forensic Science Center for identification and examination."
The search for the remaining bodies continues today.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, those on board the helicopter were heading to Kobe’s Mamba’s Academy in Thousand Oaks on Sunday, January 26. But at 9:47 a.m. — amid foggy conditions — the helicopter crashed into the Calabasas hills.
The the accident claimed the lives of John Altobelli, a baseball coach at Orange Coast College, Altobelli’s wife, Keri, and their teen daughter Alyssa.
Payton Chester — who played with 13-year-old Gianna in their basketball team, the Mamba Lady Mavericks — Chester’s mother, Sarah, and coach Christina Mauser, and Ara Zobayan, the helicopter pilot, were also among the victims.
In his final Instagram post, Kobe honored Lebron James after the fellow NBA star surpassed his all-time-scoring list.
“On to #2 @kingjames! Keep growing the game and charting the path for the next,” the caption read.
Kobe started his basketball career with the Lakers in 1996, earning five championship titles. He retired 20 years later, in 2016, after succumbing to several injuries.
After retiring, Kobe earned a Oscar for Best Animated Short Film titled Dear Basketball.
On Monday, January 27, it was announced that Kobe will now be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
He is survived by his four daughters, Natalia, 17, Bianka, 3, and Capri, 7 months, and his wife, Vanessa, 37.
Kobe was 41 years old.