Massachusetts Police have said that there is “no evidence” of anything “suspicious” with the drowning death of the Barack Obama’s personal chef Tafari Campbell.
Campbell, 45, tragically died in a paddleboarding accident in the water close to the former president’s home in Martha’s Vineyard on Sunday night.
Police in Edgartown, Massachusetts, confirmed on Monday morning that his body had been recovered from the town’s Great Pond.
Campbell had worked for the Obamas at the White House and then joined the family as their personal chef afterwards. Police said Barack and Michelle Obama were not at home when Campbell died but were on the island.
Their daughters Sasha and Malia were spotted leaving Martha’s Vineyard after the tragedy.
“Tafari was a beloved part of our family,” the Obamas said in a statement on Monday.
“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.”
In an update on Tuesday, Massachusetts Police said that “he was not wearing a personal flotation device and was not leashed to the paddle board” when he fell into the water.
He was with a fellow paddle boarder – who has not been named – who tried to help but could not reach him in time, police said.
“The other paddleboarder then swam to shore and notified a person on shore of what had happened,” police said.
“That person placed a 911 call to the Dukes County Regional Emergency Communications Center, which initiated an immediate emergency search and rescue response by numerous public safety agencies.”
