The paddleboarder who drowned near former President Barack Obama’s Martha’s Vineyard mansion has been identified as Tafari Campbell, the Obamas’ personal chef.
Campbell, 45, of Dumfries, Virginia, was found Monday morning, the day after he went missing in the water at Edgartown Great Pond on Martha’s Vineyard.
Tafari Campbell was the Obamas’ personal chef. (White House)
Massachusetts State Police said Campbell was employed by the former president and was visiting Martha’s Vineyard when he died. MSP said Barack Obama and Michelle Obama were not at home at the time of the accident.
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In a joint statement, the Obamas said: “Mr. Tafari was a beloved figure in our family. When we first met him, he was a talented White House sous chef with a passion for creativity that brought food and people together. Over the years that followed, we came to know him as a warm, fun, and extremely kind person who made our lives a little brighter.”
Edgartown Police blocked the road to Wilson’s Landing on Monday. (Ray Ewing/Vineyard Gazette)
“That’s why when we were preparing to leave the White House, I asked Mr. Tafari to stay with him, and he generously agreed. Since then, he’s been a part of our lives and our hearts are broken without him. Today, along with everyone who knew and loved Mr. Tafari, especially his wife Shelley and his twin sons Xavier and Savin, we mourn the loss of a truly wonderful man.”
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Campabelle’s body was found just before 10 a.m. on Monday, about eight and 100 feet below the shore of Edgartown Oike. MSP divers recovered the body after Massachusetts Environmental Police officers located it using sidescan sonar from the boat, the agency said.
Authorities are searching for a missing paddleboarder at Edgartown’s Oike Monday morning (Ray Ewing/Vineyard Gazette)
Authorities first responded to a call at 7:46 pm on Sunday that a male paddleboarder sank near Turkeyland Cove as he struggled to stay above the water. Officials said the man did not resurface.
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Authorities said another paddleboarder was in the pond with him at the time and witnessed him submerge.
Fox News’ Stephen Soles contributed to this report.
