Basketball Coach Christina Mauser Named As Another Victim Of Kobe Bryant Helicopter Crash
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Basketball coach Christina Mauser has been named as another victim of yesterday's fatal helicopter crash in California, which also claimed the lives of basketball icon Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna.
Christina was the coach of a girls' basketball team at a private school in Orange County.
Costa Mesa Mayor Katrina Foley confirmed the sad news of her death, tweeting: "I just learned that our amazing Matt Mauser of Tiajuana Dogs lost his wife Christina in the crash. She coached the girls' team.
"This devastating tragedy gets worse by the hour. So much pain for so many local families. Our hearts are broken & grieving for the families impacted."
I just learned that our amazing Matt Mauser of TiajuanaDogs lost his wife Christina in the crash. She coached the girls team. This devastating tragedy gets worse by the hour. So much pain for so many local families. Our hearts are broken & grieving for the families impacted.
- Mayor Katrina Foley (@KatrinaFoley) January 27, 2020
Christina's husband Matt also paid tribute to his late wife on Facebook, writing: "My kids and I are devastated.
"We lost our beautiful wife and mom today in a helicopter crash. Please respect our privacy. Thank you for all the well wishes, they mean so much."
John Altobelli, the head baseball coach at Orange Coast College, has also been confirmed as another victim of the crash, along with his wife Keri and daughter Alyssa.
It is with a shattered heart that we announce the passing of longtime head baseball coach John Altobelli, who died on Sunday in a helicopter crash, along with his wife, Keri and youngest daughter, Alyssa. https://t.co/3fjndZDzXD pic.twitter.com/cWFch9H4SV
- OCC Athletics (@OCCAthletics) January 27, 2020
A call for a downed helicopter went out at 10.01am yesterday morning, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said.
Emergency services attended the scene and put out the fire, with LA County Fire Chief Daryl Osby saying the crash had ignited a quarter-acre brush fire in steep terrain.
"Our firefighters hiked into the accident site with their medical equipment and hose lines to extinguish the stubborn fire as it included the brush fire... and the helicopter," Osby said during a news conference on Sunday afternoon.
"The fire also included magnesium, which is very hard for firefighters to extinguish because magnesium reacts with oxygen and water."
Police also confirmed to the media that all nine people believed to be on board had died in the crash.
Calabasas Mayor Alicia Weintraub said in a press conference: "It is with great sadness that we learn of the death of Kobe Bryant and four others in a helicopter crash in Calabasas."
As of yet, the cause of the crash is not known.
