
(Cupventi.com) – The passing of the personal chef who had been in the service of the Obamas, near the former president’s Martha’s Vineyard residence, has been officially determined as an accident, as per the recent autopsy findings disclosed on Tuesday.
Tafari Campbell, aged 45 and hailing from Dumfries, Virginia, tragically disappeared on July 23 while paddleboarding on the waters of Edgartown Great Pond in Martha’s Vineyard. Following an extensive search, his lifeless body was recovered the next morning.
The autopsy results, as confirmed by Timothy McGuirk, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, indicate that Campbell’s cause of death was accidental drowning due to submersion in a body of water.
The unfortunate incident occurred near Turkeyland Cove, where Campbell struggled to stay afloat and eventually submerged at approximately 7:46 p.m. An eyewitness, who was paddleboarding alongside him on the pond, observed the distressing event.
Campbell was in the employ of the former President and was visiting Martha’s Vineyard at the time of the tragedy, according to Massachusetts State Police. It’s noteworthy that Barack and Michelle Obama were not present at their residence when the accident occurred.
On July 24, the Obamas issued a joint statement expressing their profound sorrow over the loss of Campbell. They shared how they had invited him to remain with them after their White House tenure and described him as an integral part of their 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,” the statement read. Campbell is survived by his wife, Sherise Campbell, and their twin boys, Xavier and Savin.
Sherise Campbell also expressed her grief on Instagram after her husband’s untimely passing, stating, “My heart is broken. My life and our family’s life is forever changed.” She requested prayers for herself and their families as they cope with the loss of her husband.