Police on Martha’s Vineyard left official call logs blank after receiving a report that former President Barack Obama’s private chef was drowning. Officials also refuse to reveal who was paddle boarding with the chef when he died.
According to the Daily Mail, Tafari Campbell, 45, fell while paddle boarding on Great Edgartown Pond near the Obama family’s residence. Campbell was not alone when he died, but police have so far refused to reveal who he was with.
State police said the second paddle boarder was not the former president, his wife Michelle, or their two daughters.
Just before 8 p.m., someone called 911 to report that Campbell had fallen in the water. While the call was recorded in the Edgartown Police Department’s logs, the reason was left blank.
Massachusetts State Police said one 911 call came from the Obamas’ house. A second call was made from Wilson’s Landing, which is a paddle board launch location near the former president’s home.
Campbell’s body was found near Obama’s massive $12 million Martha’s Vineyard estate on Monday, according to authorities.
U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crews also helped with the search, as well as the Dukes County Sheriff’s Department, local police, Edgartown fire personnel and every other island fire department.
According to The Associated Press, authorities confirmed this week that the chef did not have any head trauma at the time of his death. Campbell was not wearing a life jacket, authorities added, and there is no evidence suggesting foul play.
Campbell struggled to stay on the board before falling into the water, authorities said.
“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 said in a joint statement, according to Newsweek. “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,” the couple added.
