The Obamas' personal chef died while paddle boarding near the former first couple's Martha's Vineyard estate: police
Photo by Ron Sachs-Pool/Getty Images
- The body of a paddle boarder was recovered from a pond near the Obamas' Martha's Vineyard home.
- Police identified the man as Tafari Campbell, 45, a personal chef for the Obamas.
- Authorities said the Obamas were not present at the property at the time of the accident.
The body of a missing paddle boarder found in a pond near Barack Obama's Massachusetts property on Monday has been identified as the former president's personal chef, authorities said Monday.
Tafari Campbell, 45, served as a White House sous chef during the Obama administration and continued to work for the former president and his wife, former first lady Michelle Obama, after Obama left office.
Campbell was paddleboarding in Edgartown Great Pond in Martha's Vineyard on Sunday, and disappeared that evening, local officials said. Massachusetts State Police said they started searching the waters near the Obama estate on Sunday after receiving reports of a missing paddle boarder.
Authorities said they recovered Campbell's body around 10 a.m. ET on Monday morning, approximately 100 feet from shore at a depth of about eight feet.
The Obamas were not present at their Martha's Vineyard home at the time of the accident, police said. Campbell had been visiting the sprawling estate where the Obamas spend part of their summer.
The former first couple released a statement on Monday sent to Insider: "Tafari was a beloved part of our family. When we first met him, he was a talented sous chef at the White House — creative and passionate about food, and its ability to bring people together. In the years that followed, we got to know him as a warm, fun, extraordinarily kind person who made all of our lives a little brighter.
"That's why, when we were getting ready to leave the White House, we asked Tafari to stay with us, and he generously agreed. He's been part of our lives ever since, and our hearts are broken that he's gone."
Campbell is survived by his wife Sherise and their twin boys, according to the Obama statement.
An investigation into Campbell's death is ongoing, authorities said.