Death Of Obamas' Personal Chef Was Due To Accidental Drowning: Officials
The death of Tafari Campbell, former President Barack Obama’s personal chef, in Martha’s Vineyard last month was ruled an accident by the Massachusetts chief medical examiner, officials saidTuesday.
His body was recovered on July 24, a day after he went missing while paddle boarding in Edgartown Great Pond.
Timothy McGuirk, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, said Campbell’s cause of death was accidental drowning due to submersion in a body of water.
Campbell struggled to stay afloat after he fell off his paddle board and eventually fell under the water, according to The Boston Globe.
His body was located roughly 100 feet away from shore by “deploying side-scan sonars” from a boat, authorities said. Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama weren’t at the residence when the accident took place, officials said.
Campbell, a former sous chef at the White House, is survived by his wife and two twin sons.
Following his death, the Obamas shared a statement paying tribute to Campbell, calling him “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 at the time. “He’s been part of our lives ever since, and our hearts are broken that he’s gone.”
