Who died in the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash?
IN January 2021, basketball legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gigi and seven others were tragically killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.
Over a year from the accident that left the Bryant family broken, here's what we know about the victims.
🏀 Follow our Kobe Bryant anniversary live blog for the latest news and tributes...
Who died in the helicopter crash with Kobe Bryant?
NBA legend Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash on Sunday, January 26, 2020.
The basketball star was one of nine people to die in the fatal accident.
Among those killed were sports coaches, parents and teenage peers of Bryant's basketball star daughter.
They had been traveling to Bryant's Mamba Academy for a practice session when the helicopter came down in foggy conditions.
Here's who else tragically passed:
Kobe’s daughter Gianna Bryant
Gianna was a budding basketball player who was the second of four daughters of Kobe and his wife Vanessa, 38.
She was a rising star in her own right and was set to take part in a practice session.
One of her teammates was also said to have been on board the helicopter when it crashed into a hill shrouded in fog 30 miles west of downtown Los Angeles.
Gianna was also known as Gigi and had the term Mambacita on her Insta account.
Assistant coach Christina Mauser
Christina was an assistant girls' basketball coach at a private school in Orange County, Mayor Katrina Foley of Costa Mesa, California, said on Twitter.
Mauser was the wife of Matt Mauser, singer of the rock and party band Tijuana Dogs, who mourned his wife with a statement on Facebook.
"My kids and I are devastated. We lost our beautiful wife and mom today in a helicopter crash. Please respect our privacy.
"Thank you for all the well wishes they mean so much."
On July 6, 2021, Matt competed on America's Got Talent, dedicating his performance to his wife.
“On Jan. 26, 2020, I lost my wife in the same helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant. … It’s been a rough year, but here I am.”
Tearily, Matt told the AGT judges and host Terry Crews: “[Christina] would want me to carry on. She would want our kids to have happy lives — I don’t know if it’s possible, but I’m going to try.”
Matt then dedicated Phil Collins’s “Against All Odds” to his late wife.
Coach John Altobelli plus wife and daughter
John Altobelli, 56, was just about to start his 28th season as baseball coach at Orange Coast College.
He won his fourth state championship in 2019, the college said in a news release on his death.
John was killed along with his wife, Keri, and daughter, Alyssa, 13.
The family is survived by two other children, son J.J. and daughter Lexi.
Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton
Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton were also passengers aboard the helicopter.
Paying tribute, the principal at Payton's school, Todd Schmidt, wrote: “While the world mourns the loss of a dynamic athlete and humanitarian, I mourn the loss of two people just as important... their impact was just as meaningful, their loss will be just as keenly felt, and our hearts are just as broken.”
Helicopter pilot Ara Zobayan
The pilot of the helicopter was Ara Zobayan, an experienced flyer.
Jared Yochim, a friend of the pilot, penned a heartfelt tribute on Facebook, writing: "The pilot flying Kobe and crew today was my friend Ara Zobayan.
"Many of my friends were actually friends with Ara and not just pilots.
"Ara was an incredible pilot, instructor pilot, charter pilot and truly a great man.
"He was not your typical egotistical helicopter pilot like most of us honestly are.
"Ara was a man that always remained cool, calm and collected.
MORE ON KOBE BRYANT
"As more people that knew Ara open up about him, you’ll only hear words like professional, calculated and loving.
"He was always good for a laugh.
"The loss is not mine, but a community really.
"Ara impacted so many people and only in a positive way. I’m sorry that you never got to meet him. You would’ve loved him, I promise."