Kobe Bryant Helicopter Crash: All Nine Bodies Recovered From Accident Scene

NTSB

The bodies of all nine victim's in the deadly helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant have now been recovered from the accident scene, according to the coroner's office.

The Los Angeles County Coroner's office issued an update just minutes ago, confirming they have now recovered all nine of the individuals who were aboard the helicopter when it crashed.

"The bodies of the nine people who died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas on Sunday have been recovered, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner announced."

Gettyimages | David McNew

As we reported, as of today they were only able to recover the bodies of three of the passengers and investigators did not give any indication as to why that was the case.

"On Sunday afternoon, personnel from the department’s Special Operations Response Team (SORT) recovered three bodies from the helicopter wreckage located in the 4200 block of Las Virgenes Road in Calabasas," the statement read.

It continued, "The next day, the search continued for the other six helicopter occupants. Soon after, their bodies were located, removed from the crash site and transported to the department’s Forensic Science Center."

NTSB

Tragically, investigators from the corner's office are still in the process of identifying the remains of all nine passengers. Sadly, the crash was so violent, investigators need time to confirm the manifest of the flight matches the victims recovered.

"Currently, investigators are actively working on identifying the decedents. Additionally, body examinations are in progress," the coroner reported.

Investigators with the coroner's office say they will update the public when all identities are "officially verified" and next of kin is notified.

NTSB

The NTSB has released footage from the crash scene, and several fans of the NBA legend are upset about how close-up the footage is the wreckage.

"This should not be publicly available out of respect for the families," one person tweeted.

A person added, "why would you allow this content have some respect for the grieving families!"

The video sparked a debate online arguing on whether or not this video should have been released, with the other side saying, "they're a government agency reporting an accident that killed people. They're made to investigate problems in this field. What else are they supposed to do?"

NTSB

"The Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner will provide immediate updates on the names of the decedents as soon as they are officially verified and their next of kin have been notified," they said to conclude the statement.

As many know, based on family member statements and confirmations from representatives, the public is aware of the passengers on board the fateful flight. But, investigators still need to complete their process before confirming the information.

Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna were killed along with seven other passengers after their private helicopter crashed into a hillside in Calabasas, California.