Tafari Campbell, the personal chef for Barack and Michelle Obama, was found dead on Monday after he fell into the water while paddle boarding near the former president’s Martha’s Vineyard home.
Authorities recovered his body in about eight feet of water approximately 100 feet from shore on Edgartown Great Pond.
The 45-year-old, who was reported missing on Sunday, was with at least one other paddle boarder when the accident happened.
Prior to joining the Obamas as a personal chef, Campbell served as sous chef in the White House.
In a statement, the Obamas, who were not at home during the incident, called Campbell 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.
Today we join everyone who knew and loved Tafari — especially his wife Sherise and their twin boys, Xavier and Savin — in grieving the loss of a truly wonderful man.
Obama’s personal chef was found dead just 100 feet away from Obama’s private beach this morning. Here’s everything we know. pic.twitter.com/yVNdAvw4rB
— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) July 25, 2023
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While many people had questions about the chef's death, some familiar with the area said the mud at the bottom of the pond "could very easily get [an adult] into an unrecoverable situation."
I used to live in that area, and people get stuck in the mud at the bottom of those ponds, then drown.
— Wags (@LeifMcGrief) July 25, 2023
You allow yourself to gently sink to touch the bottom, then propel yourself upward with your legs, only instead of going up, your legs sink into the mud, and you can't get out.
Yeah, it's freaky. All of us growing up around there had some close calls.
— Wags (@LeifMcGrief) July 25, 2023
Someone who doesn't know the area well - especially a full-weight adult - could very easily get into an unrecoverable situation.
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