Obama chef Tafari Campbell died in a tragic paddleboard accident. Three questions remain unanswered

Martha’s Vineyard authorities say they’ve found no suspicious evidence in the drowning death of Cambell near the Obama family’s estate. But several key details about the circumstances have not been explained. Joe Sommerlad reports

(AP/Google)

Several questions remain unanswered days after Tafari Campbell, who worked as a personal chef to Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, drowned in a tragic paddleboarding accident on the island of Martha’s Vineyard off Massachusetts.

The 45-year-old from Dumfries, Virginia, had served the 44th US president during his tenure at the White House between 2008 and 2016 and accepted an invitation to stay on with the family when Mr Obama stepped down to make way for Donald Trump at the end of his second term in January 2017.

Emergency services were called to the Obamas’ 30-acre estate near Turkeyland Cove on Sunday evening after a paddleboarder was reported to have disappeared in the Atlantic Ocean following a “brief struggle” to stay afloat after getting into difficulties.

His body was discovered at around 10am on Monday (24 July) with the aid of sonar technology about 100 feet from the shore and eight feet underwater in Edgartown Great Pond, a large coastal pool connected to the Atlantic.

“Tafari was a beloved part of our family,” the Obamas said in a statement in response to the tragic accident. “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.

“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 had a brief brush with fame in 2012 when he brewed an ale from honey gathered from the beehives Ms Obama had installed on the White House’s South Lawn, which is believed to be the first alcohol ever produced within the grounds of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

There are several key details we do not yet know about the circumstances of the beloved chef’s death, a look at which follows.

How did Tafari Campbell drown?

Massachusetts State Police (MSP) said on Tuesday they had concluded that Campbell was “standing on his paddleboard, lost his balance and fell into the water, then struggled to stay afloat but could not do so”.

The MSP added that the deceased “was not wearing a personal flotation device and was not leashed to the paddleboard” at the time of the accident, suggesting he may simply have been overwhelmed by the waves, regardless of his capabilities as a swimmer.

The MSP added in its update that an autopsy had found no evidence that Campbell’s death was suspicious and no trauma or injuries were found on his body.

Police said no other updates are expected except for standard toxicology results, which are protocol in all autopsies and may take several weeks to complete.

Tafari Campbell (Tafari Campbell/Instagram)

Questions have been asked, however, about just how experienced Campbell was in the water after it was noticed that a number of his Instagram posts suggested he may only have learned to swim, or to swim confidently, within the last five years or so.

In October 2017, he posted a photo showing him and his wife standing chest deep in the sea off Aruba, with the hashtag “#stillcantswim”. One follower asked: “But can you swim though? Lol.” Campbell responded with a “weary face” emoji, suggesting frustration or lamenting.

The Independent has contacted that person for comment.

A pair of videos posted about a year and four months later showed him practising various swimming strokes over beginner distances, with the hashtags “#Progress” and “#survivalskills”.

Who was the witness to the tragedy and the 911 caller?

A second person who has not been named was with Campbell when the disaster unfolded, according to the MSP.

“The fellow paddleboarder tried to swim to Mr Campbell’s location but did not reach him in time,” the latest update read.

“The other paddleboarder then swam to shore and notified a person on shore of what had happened. That person placed a 911 call to the Dukes County Regional Emergency Communications Center, which initiated an immediate emergency search and rescue response by numerous public safety agencies.”

The caller has also not yet been named, although the Daily Mail has reported the call came from within the Obamas house without citing a source.

Were the Obamas in the house at the time?

The MSP said on Monday that neither the former president nor his first lady were at home at the time of the tragedy.

However, the Office of Barack and Michelle Obama later clarified that they were on Martha’s Vineyard at the time but not at their mansion when Campbell went missing.

Their daughters Sasha and Malia were spotted leaving Martha’s Vineyard in the aftermath of the epsiode.

The Independent has contacted the Obamas’ office for further details.