While the world mourns the death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter, the families of seven more victims are also grappling with Sunday's tragic helicopter crash.

According to CNN, the names of all the victims haven't been officially released, but some family members and close friends have confirmed the loss of their loved ones.

The tragic loss included Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife, Keri, and daughter, Alyssa.

"There were two sides to John," Altobelli's brother, Tony, told CNN. "People saw him on the baseball field, he's gritty and tough as nails kind of guy but the other side of him, he was one of the biggest-hearted people you'll meet in your life. He cared about his players, cared about his school."

The OCC Pirate Athletics released a statement, saying "It's hard to put into words what this loss means to the college and the athletics department."

"John was a tremendous coach and an even better friend. Beyond that, he was an amazing mentor to all of the students and athletes that he taught and coached," the news release stated. "He treated them all like family and his impact will live on forever."

Ky Martinez said on Facebook he worked with Keri for many years and "she was a really great person."

"She was always very nice, always had a smile and was one of those people You cross paths with in life but never forget," he wrote.

Keri and her 56-year-old husband leave behind a son and daughter.

Christina Mauser, a basketball coach at a private school in Orange County, was also among the victims.

"My kids and I are devastated," her husband, Matt Mauser, wrote on Facebook. "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."

Todd Schmidt, principal at Harbor View Elementary School, identified Sarah Chester and her daughter, Payton, as the other passengers on the helicopter. Payton was a student at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School in San Juan Capistrano after previously attending Harbor View in Corona del Mar, The Washington Post reported.

Schmidt wrote about the mother and daughter on Facebook, saying they made a huge impact at Harbor View.

"While the world mourns the loss of a dynamic athlete and humanitarian, I mourn the loss of two people just as important…their impact was just as meaningful, their loss will be just as keenly felt, and our hearts are just as broken," he wrote."As a principal, we work with some amazing families…the Chesters were one of those…engaged, supportive, encouraging, and full of mischief and laughter…and they had the best kiddos!"

Bryant's daughter, Gianna, played with Payton and Alyssa Altobelli on the Mamba Academy basketball team, according to The Post.

The pilot of the helicopter was identified as Ara Zobayan, KTLA-TV reported.

Friends have identified the pilot as
Ara Zobayan. He taught aspiring heli pilots to fly and was very much loved in the aviation community. They wrote “rest easy as you take your final flight to heaven.”@KTLA
#KobeBryant
pic.twitter.com/8pQh9eNJTk

— Christina Pascucci (@ChristinaKTLA) January 27, 2020

Flight student Darren Kemp said Zobayan was Bryant's private pilot, according to The Los Angeles Times.

Kemp said he wanted to quit flying at one point, but the pilot encouraged him to keep going, saying “if you love this, then nothing will stop you.”

According to the Times, Sunday's tragic incident happened when a helicopter crashed into a hillside in Calabasas, California, shortly before 10 a.m. and burst into flames. The passengers were on their way to a basketball game at the Mamba Academy in nearby Thousand Oaks.

John Altobelli

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