Tafari Campbell was employed by the Obamas after he served them during Barack’s 8-year term as US president.
After his term, the Obamas retained Campbell as their private chef, disclosing that he was very close to the family.
Campbell was visiting the Obamas’ home while the family was not at the residence when he died in a drowning incident.
Massachusetts – A former White House chef, Tafari Campbell, who had served the Obama family, has tragically lost his life in a paddleboarding accident.
Obama’s mourning chef The chef, 45, was visiting Martha’s Vineyard, the Obama’s home in Massachusetts, when he drowned. According to CNN, police reported that Campbell was reported missing after he went paddleboarding on Sunday evening.
In a statement, Barack and Michelle Obama mourned Campbell, describing him as a beloved part of their family, and expressed their sorrow over the loss.
“He’s been part of our lives ever since, and our hearts are broken that he’s gone.”
They added he was an extraordinarily kind person. Witness accounts indicate he appeared to struggle momentarily to stay on the surface of the water before submerging and not resurfacing. Another paddle boarder present at the pond witnessed this distressing incident.
Massachusetts Environmental Police officers found Campbell’s body in Edgartown Great Pond.
Using a side-scan sonar from a boat, they located him about 100 feet from the shore at a depth of approximately 8 feet. Divers from the department’s underwater recovery unit then recovered his body.
Tafari Campbell had been employed by former President Obama and had continued working for the couple even after Obama’s eight-year term in the White House.
