Obama’s personal chef found dead in lake near his mansion.

A ⁢Tragic Loss: ⁢Former Obama ‍Chef Found Dead in⁣ Martha’s Vineyard

A missing paddle boarder whose body was⁢ recovered from a lake in the Massachusetts resort ⁤community ‍of Martha’s Vineyard was the personal‌ chef to former⁢ president Barack Obama, authorities said.

Tafari Campbell,⁢ 45, was​ the subject⁤ of a two-day search⁢ after a paddle boarder⁤ was seen to ‍struggle and⁢ go⁢ under the⁤ water in ​Edgartown Great Pond ​near a home owned by the Obamas on Sunday night.

He had been a sous chef at the White House,​ and came to work for the family⁤ after Obama ⁢completed his second term​ in‍ 2016, the ⁣former ⁢president and his wife, Michelle Obama, said in a statement Monday.

“Tafari was a beloved part of our⁣ family,” the Obamas said ‍in a joint statement. “He was … 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.”

Divers began searching for Campbell on Sunday, after receiving a call that​ a ‍male paddle boarder ‍had gone into the water and‌ then appeared to ‍struggle before going under, police said. ​He did not resurface.

Campbell’s body was recovered from Edgartown Great Pond on Monday, the Massachusetts ⁣State Police said.

The chef ‌ leaves behind his wife, Sherise,⁤ and⁤ twin ‌sons, the Obamas said.

At the time of his death, Campbell, who lived in Dumfries, Virginia, was visiting Martha’s Vineyard, ​but the Obamas were not present, the Massachusetts State⁤ Police said.

His death is being investigated by authorities, police said.

Campbell’s​ death comes eight years after the drowning death of another White House chef, Walter​ Schreib,‍ executive chef under ‍former presidents ⁢Bill Clinton ​and George‌ W. Bush. Schreib drowned while hiking in New Mexico⁢ in June 2015.

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(Reporting by⁤ Sharon Bernstein; Editing by Lincoln Feast)