Current:Home > InvestObamas' "beloved" chef died of accidental drowning, autopsy confirms -Ascend Finance Compass
Obamas' "beloved" chef died of accidental drowning, autopsy confirms
View
Date:2025-04-14 15:04:21
Tafari Campbell, the "beloved" chef of former President Barack Obama and his family, died of accidental drowning in a Martha's Vineyard lake, officials confirmed Tuesday.
Campbell, 45, was paddleboarding at Edgartown Great Pond on the night of July 23 when he was seen struggling in the water, CBS Boston reported at the time.
His cause of death was determined to be accidental drowning due to submersion in a body of water, according to Timothy McGuirk, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.
Campbell, who was from Dumfries, Virginia, worked in the White House, and the Obamas considered him part of their family, the former president and first lady said in a joint statement in July. When the Obamas were getting ready to leave the White House, they asked him to keep working for them.
"He's been part of our lives ever since, and our hearts are broken that he's gone," the Obamas said.
The Obamas have a residence on Martha's Vineyard, but they were not at the home at the time of Campbell's death, Massachusetts State Police said. Campbell was visiting the area at the time of the incident.
Searchers spent hours looking for Campbell the night he was reported missing, and his body was recovered the following morning. The recovery was made approximately 100 feet from shore at a depth of about eight feet.
Campbell is survived by a wife and twin boys, the Obamas said.
"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," the Obamas said in their joint statement. "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."
— Aliza Chasan contributed to reporting.
- In:
- Martha's Vineyard
- Drowning
- White House
- Barack Obama
S. Dev is a news editor for CBSNews.com.
veryGood! (14972)
Related
- Who's hosting 'Saturday Night Live' tonight? Musical guest, how to watch Dec. 14 episode
- Robert De Niro and Tiffany Chen attend White House state dinner, Paul Simon performs: Photos
- Kourtney Kardashian Reveals Why She Pounded Her Breast Milk
- Coachella 2024: Lineup, daily schedule, ticket info, how to watch festival livestream
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- Woman found slain 38 years ago in California identified with DNA testing
- Kathy Hilton's Update on Granddaughter London's Sweet New Milestones Will Have You Sliving
- Track and field to be first sport to pay prize money at Olympics
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- Deceased humpback whale washes ashore in New Jersey beach town Long Beach Township
Ranking
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- Dodgers Star Shohei Ohtani's Former Interpreter Facing Fraud Charges After Allegedly Stealing $16 Million
- Alaska House passes budget with roughly $2,275 payments to residents, bill goes to Senate
- Snail slime for skincare has blown up on TikTok — and dermatologists actually approve
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- Shohei Ohtani’s ex-interpreter charged with stealing $16M from baseball star in sports betting case
- Biden administration announces plans to expand background checks to close gun show loophole
- An ambitious plan to build new housing continues to delay New York’s state budget
Recommendation
Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
Track and field to be first sport to pay prize money at Olympics
New website includes resources to help in aftermath of Maryland bridge collapse
Here's why some people bruise more easily than others
Tarte Shape Tape Concealer Sells Once Every 4 Seconds: Get 50% Off Before It's Gone
Former NBA guard Ben McLemore arrested, faces rape charge
OJ Simpson, fallen football hero acquitted of murder in ‘trial of the century,’ dies at 76
Jewel Breaks Silence on Kevin Costner Dating Rumors