Fil-Am coach among dead in helicopter crash with Kobe Bryant
MANILA, Philippines (Update 2: Jan. 29, 2020; 9:55 a.m.) — A Filipino-American was among the nine people who died in a helicopter crash northwest of Los Angeles, including basketball legend Kobe Bryant.
Bryant, 41, was traveling Sunday with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other passengers and crew when the Sikorsky S-76 slammed into a rugged hillside in thick fog in Calabasas, northwest of LA.
There were no survivors.
Christina Mauser, a Filipino-American, was among the passengers of the ill-fated Sikorsky S-76. She was the assistant coach of the Mamba girls' basketball team that Bryant co-owned.
The husband of the basketball coach, Matt Mauser, paid tribute to his wife on Facebook.
"My kids and I are devastated. We lost our beautiful wife and mom today in a helicopter crash," Matt wrote.
He asked for privacy as they mourn the loss of his wife.
"Please respect our privacy," Matt said. "Thank you for all the well wishes they mean so much."
The couple has three minor children, ages 3, 9 and 11.
Apart from Bryant, his daughter Gianna and Mauser, the other passengers on the flight included baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri and their daughter Alyssa, who played basketball at the same club as Gianna.
News of the crash reverberated across the globe and hundreds gathered at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, where Bryant wowed fans for 20 years, placing flowers, candles and messages for their fallen hero. — with reports from Agence France-Presse
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