DUKES COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS: The mystery around the drowning death of Tafari Campbell has deepened further as police have reportedly refused to reveal the name of the person who was swimming with him. The 45-year-old personal chef of the Obamas, who was married and had twins, died after allegedly drowning during a paddleboarding excursion on Sunday, July 23.
Campbell’s body was later found on Monday, July 24, in eight-foot-deep water nearly 100 feet off the coast of a Martha's Vineyard residence owned by the former US president and his family. On Sunday, a 911 call was placed at around 7:50 pm to report that Campbell had fallen in and could not make it back to the surface. The call in question is registered in Edgartown Police Department's logs, but the reason behind it is left noticeably blank. The reason for every other call for that night is given. The call’s origin is also listed as Wilson's Landing, a launching site for paddle boards located about two miles from the Obamas' residence on Turkeyland Cove, according to Daily Mail.
Who was Tafari Campbell swimming with?
Calls between the Martha's Vineyard emergency services also revealed that there was another paddle boarder on the water with Campbell when he drowned. Additionally, the reports confirmed that the original 911 call was made by a female, who was in a boat, traveling "back and forth" on the water around 8.18 pm, perhaps in search of the man, probably searching for the chef. "We met with the reporting party, she is on a boat with two individuals and they're going back and forth as well," said one of the rescuers at 8.23 pm. However, authorities have refused to identify the person. It is also unclear if they were the person, who was paddle boarding with Campbell.
Following an initial investigation, Massachusetts State Police concluded that there was no foul play in Campbell’s death. The chef had no visible trauma injuries when he was taken out of the water. However, the results of the toxicology test carried out during his autopsy have not yet been returned. The officials previously revealed that the unidentified fellow paddleboarder tried to swim to Campbell but “did not reach him in time”. The 911 calls were allegedly made after a witness noticed the chef, who was not wearing a life jacket and wasn’t tethered to the board, struggling to stay afloat in his final moments.
Obamas mourn Campbell’s death
On Monday, the family of the former US president expressed their deep sorrow over Campbell’s untimely death while describing him as a cherished member of their 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. 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,” they said in a joint statement as per CNN.
