The tragic death of Gianna Bryant and her father, legendary NBA player Kobe Bryant, tore the world apart. People were left in utter disbelief at the fact that the iconic father-daughter duo no longer walked the earth. Unfortunately, seven other individuals lost their lives that tragic morning. The world lost an icon, sports legend, the future pillars of women’s sports, and their loved ones.
A few months after the helicopter accident that took place in Calabasas, the autopsy reports of Kobe were leaked. It showed how Bryant’s body was severed into pieces. His torso, head, and one arm were intact but the rest were allegedly scattered throughout the crash site.
The report only contained one of his severed arms but his legs were not found. Authorities identified his tattoos especially a crown which was inked above his wife’s name. All individuals involved in the crash were likely to have had the same results. Kobe’s body had 30% burns while the others could’ve faced more.
The autopsy images of Gianna Bryant were revealed much later. As you can see in the images above, Gigi had multiple lacerations and broken bones all over her body. The report states that there were several facial and skull fractures. It also claimed that there was “no residual brain tissue identified within calvarium”, likely due to the force on impact. This shows that Gianna’s head was probably exposed the most on impact.
Gianna also had multiple blunt-force traumatic injuries. Both her legs were amputated during the crash and there were multiple abrasions, contusions, and lacerations on her torso. She had a transected cervical cord (a torn spinal cord) and heart lacerations. Such injuries are very lethal and can instantly serious risks.
How did Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant die?
Gianna Bryant, her father, members of the Mamba Sports Academy, and their families were aboard a Sikorsky S-76B helicopter. This helicopter was often used by Kobe to travel between cities. Pilot Ara Zobayan was also someone the Los Angeles Lakers legend consistently flew with. However, things started to take an absurd turn on January 26, 2020.
Zobayan was expected to take the group to Thousand Oaks. But he did not take their usual route due to low visibility and fog. The detour led Zobayan through Calabasas, which is a moderately hilly region. Despite taking a different route, things got a bit worse and the pilot was not aware of the surrounding area. A disoriented Zobayan believed that the aircraft was climbing but in reality, it was headed toward the ground, nose first.
The gruesome impact of the crash was probably what resulted in the severed body parts. All passengers would have died on the spot. Ara Zobayan was heavily blamed for his negligence. According to the basics of aviation, the pilot could have resorted to other measures which would have avoided the crash.
Even switching to autopilot would have had the aircraft on a better path. Unfortunately, it was fate that played its role. Kobe and Gianna Bryant are still thought of to this day, along with the other lives that were taken.