Kobe Bryant was one of four victims that has been positively identified by authorities in the wake of Sunday morning’s fatal helicopter crash. In a statement released by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, John Altobelli, Sarah Chester, pilot Ara Zobayan and Bryant have all been confirmed via fingerprints. Investigators are still working on identifying the five remaining decedents, but said they’ll provide immediate updates after the next of kin have been notified.
Sarah Chester’s uncle, Andy George, spoke to The OC Register Tuesday morning about the loss of his sister, as well as her daughter, Payton, who played basketball along with Bryant’s daughter, Gianna, at his Mamba Academy.
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“We were always trying to be there for each other and we were really close,” George said of her sister. “She’s the one that everybody counted on. She was there for everyone. She was everything to her family, to our family. Anytime I needed anything, she was the person I went to.”
“It’s starting to settle in a little bit, but I’m still in disbelief,” he also said of the tragedy.
John Altobelli, who was also identified, was the longest-tenured baseball coach in Orange Coast College history. He resided in Newport Beach with his wife Keri and daughters Alexis and Alyssa in Newport Beach. His son, J.J., works as a scout for the Boston Red Sox and served as a coach at the University of Oregon.
Katie Couric paid tribute to Altobelli on the day of the crash via Instagram, along with his wife Keri and their teenage daughter, Alyssa, who were all three aboard Sunday morning.
“We are shaken to our core when something like this happens, then in a matter of days, we are back obsessing over things that don’t really matter, stooping to levels we shouldn’t be and forgetting to be kind,” Couric’s caption read, in part. “Let’s try to remember and to rise above. Perhaps that’s the best way to honor the lives that are cut short, not just yesterday, but every day.”
Investigations as to the cause of the crash are still underway. At this point, it’s known that the chopper was flying in foggy conditions deemed dangerous to the point that local police agencies grounded all their faults. Audio released from LiveATC.net indicates that the helicopter was granted “special clearance to fly at or below 2,500 feet in dangerous weather conditions,” but Zobayan may have misjudged the terrain nearby.
