Following the tragic helicopter accident which took the lives of 9 people in total, including NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna Bryant; it was reported that the remains of the iconic basketball player and his child were finally put to rest.
The funeral service took place on Friday in Orange County, California, and the event was kept private since Kobe’s widow, Vanessa Bryant, and family preferred to stay away from the public eye, so they could morn their loss and take final goodbye with their lost loved ones in peace.
A source told Entertainment Tonight: “Vanessa and the family wanted a private service to mourn their loss. The ceremony was extremely hard for everyone as it’s still hard for them to grasp they lost two beautiful souls.”
They were reportedly buried in at the Pacific View Memorial Park in Newport Beach.
In addition to the funeral service, a public memorial is set to take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on February 24, and the event will pay tribute to Kobe, Gianna and the other seven victims of the devastating incident: Alyssa Altobelli, John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Payton Chester, Sarah Chester, Christina Mauser, and the pilot of the helicopter, Ara Zobayan.
The Mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, has previously commented on the organization of the upcoming memorial service.
Garcetti remarked that the citizens of Los Angeles believed not only in each other but also in something bigger than themselves and promised the event would be accessible to everyone who wished to come.
The politician explained: “We are one city that believes in each other, believes in something bigger than ourselves. We will absolutely do everything to make sure that this is done so that everybody can come to it as well.”
The wife of the late Los Angeles Lakers star posted a touching message on social media on Valentine’s Day. It read: “To my forever Valentine, I love you so much. Missing you so much on your favorite holiday. Te amo per sempre. Kisses to you and Gigi in heaven. Happy Valentine’s Day, my babies. With all my love, your boo-boo. ❤️song: Tell Him @mslaurynhill.”
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So far, investigators of the crash are still uncertain about what exactly caused the incident, but a recent report by the National Transportation Safety Board ruled out a failure of the engine as a possible explanation.
Reportedly, for the time being, it is believed that the pilot of the helicopter did not have enough visibility due to the bad weather conditions on that day.
