BARACK Obama's personal chef, who worked for the former president and first lady during their time in the White House, has drowned near the couple's estate in Martha's Vineyard, police said.
Tafari Campbell, 45, was known for brewing White House honey ale beer while the Obamas were in office, even using honey from Michelle Obama's famous garden on the South Lawn.
The chef continued to work for the couple after Obama's tenure as president ended.
"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 wrote in a 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.
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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."
Campbell's wife, Sherise, shared a photo of him on her Instagram story.
"Heartbroken," she wrote with a broken heart emoji.
The Obamas spend part of their summers in Martha's Vineyard and have done so for years.
According to Massachusetts State Police, Campbell "was visiting Martha’s Vineyard at the time of his passing. President and Mrs. Obama were not present at the residence at the time of the accident."
Law enforcement began to search the waters near the estate after receiving reports of a missing paddle boarder on Sunday.
Campbell's body was found just after 10am when Massachusetts State Police divers recovered his remains from the Edgardtown Great Pond.
Police said his body was found "approximately 100 feet from shore at a depth of about eight feet.
"The investigation into the fatality is being conducted by the State Police Detective Unit for the Cape and Islands District and Edgartown Police."
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