Obamas’ Personal Chef Drowns in Pond at the Former President’s Martha’s Vineyard Home

MARTHA’S VINEYARD — The man who drowned in the pond on which President Obama’s vacation estate sits has been identified as his chef, Tafari Campbell. He was 45 years old.In a statement released Monday night, Massachusetts state police said Campbell had gone paddle boarding on Edgartown Great Pond, near the former first family’s island home at Martha’s Vineyard. He was “employed by former President Obama” and was visiting the island, the statement continued. Mr. Obama and his wife, Michelle, were not home at the time of the incident, but it is unclear if they are currently on the island. On Sunday evening, law enforcement announced that the local police and fire departments on Martha’s Vineyard responded to a 911 call just before 8 p.m., “in the vicinity of Turkeyland Cove,” which is the street where the Obamas own a home. A man, now identified as Campbell, “appeared to briefly struggle to stay on the surface, and then submerged and did not resurface,” the Sunday press release stated, based on eyewitness accounts. When asked by the Sun who had placed the 911 call, a spokesman said the Massachusetts state police would not answer “individual inquiries on this matter.”On Monday morning, state police said that they had discovered Campbell’s body, though they did not identify him at the time. He was only identified as a “43-year old male” whose body had been discovered 100 feet from shore. According to his LinkedIn page, Campbell worked as the White House sous chef during the Obama administration, after which he was employed as the former first family’s personal chef. In a statement, Mr. and Mrs. Obama said they were sad to lose a “truly wonderful man.”“Tafari was a beloved part of our family,” they said. “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,” they said. “He’s been part of our lives ever since, and our hearts are broken that he’s gone.”

Obamas’ Personal Chef Drowns in Pond at the Former President’s Martha’s Vineyard Home

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