Kobe Bryant has reportedly died in a helicopter crash on Sunday morning in California .The NBA star, 41, was travelling with four people in his private helicopter when it crashed in Calabasas.
All five people onboard are reported to have died in the accident.
It had earlier been reported that Bryant’s four daughters were on board with him at the time of the crash, with various sources quoting a report by ABC News.
ABC News is reporting that Kobe Bryant’s young daughters were on the plane with him when the helicopter crashed.
— Courtney Shaw (@courtneyshaw13) 26 January 2020
However, this report was later confirmed as inaccurate, but it was then revealed by TMZ that one of his daughers, Gianna, who was just 13-years-old, died alongside her father in the tragic crash. The identities of the other three passengers on the helicopter have not yet been identified.
A call for a downed helicopter went out at 10.01am local time, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Firefighters arrived at the scene and put out the flames.
However, it was later reported that there were no survivors from the crash, the cause of which is unknown..
“Unfortunately there were no survivors,” said Tony Imbrenda of the Los Angeles County Fire.
Immediately messages started filtering in from across the internet, with hundreds offering prayers for Kobe’s wife, Vanessa Bryant, who is not thought to have been on board.
The basketball legend used his own private helicopter for years to commute from Newport Beach, Calif. to Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles.