Tafari Campbell: Police say nothing suspicious with chef’s drowning as Obama daughters leave island
The Obamas referred to Tafari Campbell as ‘a beloved part of our family’ after his body was recovered from Martha’s Vineyard’s Great Pond on Monday
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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.”
Tafari Campbell was former president’s personal chef
“Tafari was a beloved part of our family,” said the Obama family on Monday evening. “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.
“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.”
Tafari Campbell’s death labelled ‘not suspicious’
Massachusetts State Police said on Tuesday that an autopsy found no evidence that the death was suspicious and no trauma or injuries were found on Campbell’s body.
A paddleboarder who was at the pond with Campbell when the tragedy unfolded told law enforcement that the late chef was standing on his paddleboard when he lost balance.
“He was not wearing a personal flotation device and was not leashed to the paddleboard. The fellow paddle boarder tried to swim to Mr Campbell’s location but did not reach him in time,” the police update stated. “The other paddle boarder then swam to shore and notified a person on shore of what had happened.”
MSP said no other updates are expected at this time except for standard toxicology results that are protocol in all autopsies and may take several weeks.
Grieving Obamas were in Martha’s Vineyard when chef drowned at their home
Barack Obama and his family have paid tribute to the former president’s longtime personal chef after he died while paddleboarding near their home in Martha’s Vineyard.
Tafari Campbell, 45, from Virginia, was found dead in the water near the Obama family’s mansion on Monday morning, about a hundred feet from shore.
Police told local media that they were called to the Obama house on Sunday night by reports of a man paddleboarding who slipped under the water after a “brief struggle” to stay on the surface.
Who was the witness to the tragedy and the 911 caller?
A second person who has not been named was with Campbell when the disaster unfolded, according to the MSP.
“The fellow paddleboarder tried to swim to Mr Campbell’s location but did not reach him in time,” the latest update read.
“The other paddleboarder then swam to shore and notified a person on shore of what had happened. 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.”
The caller has also not yet been named, although the Daily Mail has reported the call came from within the Obamas house without citing a source.
911 dispatch audio captures report of Campbell’s accident
What we know about Obama chef and loving husband who died paddleboarding in Martha’s Vineyard
The search for a missing paddleboarder near the Obamas’ mansion in Martha’s Vineyard ended in tragedy when a dead body in the water was identified as the family’s longtime personal chef.
The Obama family described Campbell as “a truly wonderful man”, while his wife Sherise Campbell said she was “heartbroken”.
Here’s everything we know about the case:
What we know about the tragic death of Obama’s personal chef Tafari Campbell
The Obamas described Campbell, 45, as ‘a beloved part of our family’ and ‘a truly wonderful man’
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