A missing paddleboarder whose body was recovered in a pond on Martha's Vineyard on Monday has been identified as a beloved employee of former President Barack Obama and his family, a statement from the former first couple said.
Massachusetts State police said the body of 45-year-old Tafari Campbell, of Dumfries, Virginia, was recovered from Edgartown Great Pond, along the southern coast of the island, shortly before 10 a.m.
State police say Campbell was employed by the former president and was visiting Martha's Vineyard at the time of his death. The Obamas were not home, police said, but the couple released a statement Monday afternoon describing Campbell as a member of the family.
“Tafari was a beloved part of our family. 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.
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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.”
State police Underwater Recovery Water Unit divers recovered the body after it was located by Massachusetts Environmental Police using side-scan sonar from a boat. The recovery was made about 100 feet from shore at a depth of about eight feet.
The search began on Sunday night, shortly before 8 p.m., and resumed early Monday morning.
Several public safety agencies on the island responded to the Turkeyland Cove area for the search Sunday night, after a report that a paddleboarder had gone under the water and wasn't seen coming back up. Another paddleboarder was with the man when it happened, police said.
The death investigation is being conducted by Edgartown and state police. No further details were immediately released.
Police initially gave the man's age as 43, then 44.
