Barack Obama’s Personal Chef Dead After Drowning
Barack and Michelle Obama’s personal chef Tafari Campbell has died. The chef drowned near the couple’s Martha’s Vineyard estate on Sunday (July 23), TMZ reports.
According to Massachusetts police, Campbell’s body was found by divers Monday (July 24) after going missing Sunday night (July 23). He was paddleboarding at the time. His body was recovered from Edgartown Great Pond which is located near the Obama’s estate.
“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,” President Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama said in a statement, per ABC News. “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.”
They added, “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.”
Campbell was visiting Martha’s Vineyard at the time of his death, police said. The Obamas were not at the home when the incident occurred, according to Massachusetts State Police. The chef’s body was found 100 feet from shore and 8 feet below the surface. Campbell was not wearing a life jacket, police said per the Associated Press.
Campbell is survived by his wife and their twin boys.
Barack Obama: 10 Interesting Facts About The Former President
