Police have identified the paddleboarder found dead in the pond on the Obamas’ $12 million dollar Martha’s Vineyard estate; it was chef and Obama friend 45-year-old Tafari Campbell.
“Tafari was a beloved part of our family,” the Obamas said in a statement 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.”
From The New York Post:
Authorities confirmed Monday afternoon that the body of 45-year-old Tafari Campbell was found in 8 feet of water about 100 feet from the banks of the Obamas’ property on Edgartown Great Pond.
Campbell previously served as the sous chef in the White House kitchen while Barack Obama was in office, and was hired to be his personal staff when his term ended.
Emergency responders were dispatched to the 30-acre estate at 79 Turkeyland Cove Road on Sunday evening after reports of a “possible drowning” nearby.
Rescue efforts involving divers, Coast Guard helicopters and resources from multiple agencies were launched from the property overnight.
“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,” the Obamas said.
