Retired NBA Star Kobe Bryant 41 and his 13-year-old daughter were among the 9 people who died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California on 26 January.
Officials in Los Angeles County said the retrieval of the bodies will take a few days as the helicopter crash was in a rugged area.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby said in a statement that the area where the helicopter crash was difficult to reach and his firefighters had to walk to the site.
Kobe was on his way to his Mamba Sports Academy, where he trained his daughter’s team on the helicopter when the accident took place.
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His academy hosted the Mamba Cup Tournament Series, a 3rd to 8th grade boys and girls basketball team competition.
The Los Angeles County Fire Officers reported that it was not clear whether or not the helicopter was overloaded, and the National Transportation Safety Board sent a team to the crash site later that Sunday night.
Kobe Bryant is considered as one of the best players in N.B.A. history.
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Kobe entered the NBA in 1996 straight from high school and became an All Star in 18 of his 20 seasons at the Lakers, leading his team to five championships.
He was a super-competitor at the court, resulting in several public fights with his teammates and coach, with a fierce rivalry between him and Shaquille O’Neil the best known.
He received the NBA MVP Award for the 2007-8 season and had the second highest single-game total of 81 points in 2006.
Kobe retired in 2016 after a series of injuries struck him and scored 60 points in his last game with the Lakers.
