Altobelli Family’s Heartbreaking Texts Not Knowing Their Family Was On Board Kobe’s Helicopter

John Altobelli, the head baseball coach at Orange Coast College for 27 years, his wife, Keri, and their daughter Alyssa also were on board of the helicopter that crashed in Calabasas, on January 26.

The Altobelli family has now revealed some truly heartbreaking text messages in the aftermath of the fatal crash, with John’s brothers not knowing their family was even on the helicopter when they got word of the news.

Per The New York Times:

“Did you hear about Kobe?” his brother asked.

Neither of them had an inkling that it was anything more than celebrity news. Altobelli texted the Orange Coast College women’s basketball coach, Sammy Doucette, who had coached at Mamba Academy.

“Hey Sammy is it true about Kobe?” Altobelli texted at 11:54.

“Where is John? Was he on board?” she replied immediately. “Where’s Alyssa?”

Altobelli froze.

“You better call John,” Doucette wrote. “His phone is off. I know he’s flown on the copter before.”

Altobelli texted his older brother at 11:55.

“Hey, are you there? Are you and the kids OK?”

There was no response.

Altobelli, panicked, messaged assistant baseball coaches. One of the coaches, Tim Matz, called him. He could barely get the words out.

“They’re all gone,” he said.

“Who’s all gone?” Altobelli asked.

“John, Keri and Alyssa. They’re all gone.”