Obama's personal chef, Tafari Campbell, died last month while paddleboarding on Martha's Vineyard. State official Timothy McGuirk confirmed that Campbell's death at age 45 was ruled an accident. The Boston Globe reported that Campbell died when he fell into the water from his paddleboard on the night of July 23:
Campbell was standing on his paddleboard when he lost his balance and fell off. He struggled to remain afloat before slipping beneath the water. Campbell was not wearing a life jacket and wasn’t secured to his board. Campbell’s body was found in about 8 feet of water.
Campbell's body was found a day later about 100 feet off the shore of the lake. Diving equipment and lifeboats were needed as well as a helicopter from the country's Coast Guard. The Massachusetts State Police were also involved in the search, according to the report by the Boston Globe:
Boats were used to conduct hasty searches of the pond and divers were sent to look for the victim in the immediate area surrounding the datum point while foot searches were conducted around the perimeter of Turkeyland Cove and adjacent areas. Door-to-door searches conducted at the adjacent properties by EPD in case the party had made it to land and needed assistance.
The search didn't help much. Twenty-four hours later, Campbell's body was found. He stayed on to work for the Obamas after the former president finished his second term. He was very loved by the couple. Barack Obama posted a tribute to Campbell on social media:
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