Massachusetts authorities are investigating the incident.
The Massachusetts State Police (MSP) said the body of a swimmer who went missing from a pond in Martha’s Vineyard on Monday morning was an employee of former President Barack Obama.
Divers for the MSP Underwater Rescue Unit recovered the body of 45-year-old Tafari Campbell in the Edgartown Great Pond.
“Tafari was a beloved part of our family. When we first met him, he was an accomplished chef at the White House — creative, passionate about food, and able to bring people together,” President Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama said in a statement.
The Obamas asked Campbell to continue working with them after they left the White House, and he “generously agreed,” they said in a statement.
“He was a part of our lives and our hearts are broken that he is gone. Today we join all who knew and loved Tafari — especially his wife Sheris and their twin boys, Xavier and Savin — in mourning the loss of a truly wonderful man.”
Police said Campbell was visiting Martha’s Vineyard when he died. According to MSP, the Obamas were not home when the incident occurred.
According to MSP, Massachusetts Environmental Police officers found the victim’s body.
The underwater rescue unit recovered the victim’s body 100 feet from shore and 8 feet underwater, state police said.
The paddle boarder went missing in the pool on Sunday, but authorities called off the search after several hours “to allow dive teams, air crews and other responders to re-equip and assess next steps” before they could find the man, the MSP said.
The Massachusetts State Police Detective Division is investigating the incident along with the Cape and Islands District and Edgartown Police.
