Drowned Paddleboarder In Martha's Vineyard Was Obama's Personal Chef

A paddleboarder who drowned near the estate of former president Barack Obama's Martha's Vineyard estate has been identified as the ex-head of state's personal chef.

The body of 45-year-old Tafari Campbell was recovered on Monday after authorities received reports of a missing paddleboarder on Sunday.

Massachusetts State Police said they received reports of a male paddleboarder who went underwater after appearing to struggle. This was reportedly observed by another paddleboarder who was with Campbell and saw him go underwater.

Divers found Campbell in Edgartown Great Pond around 100 feet from shore in about 8 feet of water.

According to Massachusetts State Police Campbell “was visiting Martha’s Vineyard at the time of his passing. President and Mrs. Obama were not present at the residence at the time of the accident.”

Campbell had worked as a sous chef in the White House during Obama's presidency. According to Chicago Sun-Times, he was known for brewing beer using honey from then-First Lady Michelle Obama's South Lawn Garden.

After news broke of Campbell's death, the Obamas released a statement.

"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," the statement reads. "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."

For this reason, upon leaving the White House the family asked Campbell to continue working for them.

“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.”

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