Man employed by former President Barack Obama dies in waters at Martha’s Vineyard

Officials have released the name of a man who died in waters off of Martha’s Vineyard.

According to Dave Procopio of Massachusetts State Police, at 7:46 p.m. Sunday, Martha’s Vineyard police and fire agencies responded to Edgartown Great Pond in the vicinity of Turkeyland Cove for a call for a male paddle boarder who had gone into the water, appeared to briefly struggle to stay on the surface, and then submerged and did not resurface.

The paddle boarder was 45-year-old Tafari Campbell of Dumfries, Virginia. Another paddle boarder was on the pond with him at the time and observed him go under the water.

Shortly before 10:00 a.m. Monday, the body of Campbell was recovered from Edgartown Great Pond by Massachusetts State Police divers. MSP Underwater Recovery Unit divers made the recovery after the victim’s body was located by a Massachusetts Environmental Police Officers deploying side-scan sonar from a boat.

The recovery was made approximately 100 feet from shore at a depth of about eight feet.

Campbell was employed as a chef by former President Obama and 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.

The investigation into the fatality is being conducted by the State Police Detective Unit for the Cape and Islands District and Edgartown Police.