Photo: getty
Rest in peace, Payton Chester.
By Bernadette Giacomazzo — Written on Jan 27, 2020
As the final names of the victims of the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash are revealed, the pain of each loss is more heartbreaking than ever before. In addition to the basketball great, 41, and his daughter Gianna, 13, other children who went to school with the "Mambacita" have perished in this tragic accident. Who is Payton Chester, 13, one of the last victims — along with her mother, Sarah Chester, who was also on the helicopter and perished as well — to be identified in the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash?
Now that we know the names of all of the victims, the focus is turning to the cause of the crash to get some much-needed answers. Currently, the NTSB has more than 20 of its top investigators on the ground just outside of Calabasas, CA, to determine what factor led to the fiery crash of the Sikorsky helicopter. The flight path is the only thing that we have to see what, exactly, went on in the fiery crash — all that is known for certain is that the helicopter circled Glendale, CA for more than 15 minutes, hoping that the fog would dissipate — as audio recordings from the pilot Ara Zobayan reveal — before going on to its fate in the densely wooded hills.
Let's look at what we know about Payton Chester, one of the final victims to be identified in the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash.
1. Who is Payton Chester? She and her mother were the final two victims to be identified.
The final two victims to be identified in the helicopter crash that claimed the lives of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven other victims were Payton Chester and her mother, Sarah. Payton, like fellow victim Alyssa Altobelli, was Gianna Bryant's teammate at Kobe Bryant's Mamba Sports Academy.
2. Chester's death was confirmed by her school.
In an official memo released by St. Margaret's Episcopal School in San Juan Capistrano, CA, Chester's death — as well as her mother, Sarah's — was confirmed. "This is an unimaginable loss for the Chester family and the entire St. Margaret’s community. We are a community in mourning. Our greatest strength is when our St. Margaret’s community pulls together with arms around one another, and this is one of those times,” they wrote.
3. One of her principals paid tribute to her on Facebook.
Todd Snyder, who identified himself as one of Chester's principals, paid tribute to his fallen student on Facebook. "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. This family made such a huge impact at Harbor View...they were genuine, kind-hearted, and caring...to the staff, to other families...and yes, especially to me. 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. You were both the embodiment of #hvepride, and the world is just a little less without you both in it. May you both Rest In Peace and know the deep impact you had on our lives. You will be so sorely missed," he wrote.
You can check out his post in full below.
4. Chester is one of three teenagers to perish on the ill-fated flight.
In addition to Chester, Gianna Bryant, 13, and 13-year-old Alyssa Altobelli (and her parents John and Keri) also perished in the ill-fated flight. The teenagers, who were with their parents — who also perished on the flight — were on their way to a game at the Mamba Academy.
Altobelli, Bryant, and Chester were more than just players on the Mamba Academy basketball team. Rather, they were coached by Kobe Bryant, Gianna's father, who also co-founded the Academy. Bryant, who retired from professional basketball back in 2016, said that his daughter's interest in the sport reinvigorated his love of the game.
5. Her family is "heartbroken" over the news, and they leave behind other members of their immediate family.
"She’s the one that everybody counted on. She was there for everyone. She had this sweetest soul, the kindest, most gentlest person you would ever meet," said Andy George, who is Chester's uncle. George said that the family was "heartbroken" about the news of Payton and Sarah Chester's death.
Payton is survived by her father, Chris, and her two brothers — Hayden and Riley — who are in the 10th grade.
6. A memorial service was held for all the victims in Orange County, CA.
As news of the helicopter crash spread all over the world, the residents of Orange County, CA, held their own impromptu memorial in honor of Chester and the other victims of the fateful helicopter crash. The cause of the crash is still under investigation, however. It's unclear how long the investigation will take, but it could very well be a few weeks before the NTSB has definitive answers for all of us. What's more, investigators are warning well-meaning fans who want to "help" with the investigation to stay away from the crash site, as Los Angeles County Sheriff Villanueva announced it "is now a misdemeanor to unlawfully access the site.”
Our thoughts are with Payton Chester and her family during this difficult time.
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, publicist, and photographer whose work has appeared in Teen Vogue, People, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, BET.com, and more.