Bodies of Kobe, three others identified by medics
By People Daily, January 30, 2020
Los Angeles, Wednesday
Medical examiners identified the body of NBA legend Kobe Bryant (left) after recovering the remains of all nine people who died in a helicopter crash near Los Angeles, officials said Tuesday.
Bryant’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.
“We are done on the site,” 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 the twisted, charred wreckage of the helicopter, which was scattered over a wide area of 600 feet (180 metres).
Officials also used drones to replicate the helicopter’s final, fateful flight path, Homendy said.
Earlier Tuesday, the coroner’s office confirmed all nine bodies had been retrieved from the site and “transported to the department’s forensic science centre” for examination.
The bodies of pilot Ara Zobayan, baseball coach John Altobelli and Sarah Chester have also been identified.
The death of Bryant – a five-time NBA champion for the LA Lakers and double Olympic gold medallist — has shocked the world, with tributes continuing to pour in.
Bryant, 41, was travelling 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. – AFP