By Elisabeth Steinbrecher
When the police in Edgartown (Massachusetts, US) received an emergency call on Sunday evening (local time), Barack (61) and Michelle Obama (59) did not yet know that they had lost a valued employee: Tafari Campbell († 45) was the personal chef of the ex-president’s family for many years.
Campbell drowned near the Obamas’ home on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts state police confirmed. The 45-year-old was out on the water on a stand-up paddleboard when he got into trouble.
The police statement said: “A male paddler entered the water, briefly appeared to have difficulty staying on the surface, sank and never resurfaced”. At the time, no one knew it was Campbell.
It wasn’t until Monday at 10 a.m. (local time) that Coast Guard rescue divers found a body about 30 meters from the shore, very close to the Obamas’ house. Authorities identified him as Tafari Campbell, the chef of the former First Family. The authorities are investigating the case, but so far it is assumed that it was an accident.
“It breaks our hearts”
In a statement, the Obamas wrote: “Tafari was a beloved part of our family. When we met him, he was a talented sous chef at the White House – creative and passionate about food and his ability to bring people together. In the years that followed, we got to know him as a warm, funny and extremely kind person who made all of our lives a little bit brighter.”
The couple continued, “So as we prepared to leave the White House, we asked Tafari to stay with us, and he generously agreed. He’s been a part of our lives ever since and it breaks our hearts that he’s gone.”
For years, the Obamas have been spending their summers on the high society island of Martha’s Vineyard in the US state of Massachusetts. However, the couple were not on site at the time of the tragedy.
Campbell leaves behind his wife and their twin sons, the Obama couple wrote.