Former US President Barack Obama’s personal chef perished in a paddle surfing accident close to the Obamas’ Massachusetts home.
Before continuing to work for the Obama family after Mr. Obama left office in 2016, Tafari Campbell, 45, worked at the White House.
He vanished on Sunday while swimming in Martha’s Vineyard’s Edgartown Great Pond.
The Obamas made a statement praising his skills both inside and outside the kitchen.
“Tafari was a beloved part of our 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,” Mr Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama said on Monday.
“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.”
His body was discovered on Monday “about 100 feet (30 meters) from shore at a depth of about 8 feet.”
His death is being looked into by the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit, although it is thought to have been an accident, according to CBS News.
While Mr. Obama was residing in Washington for eight years, Mr. Campbell worked for the White House. He participated in the development of some of the most well-known presidential recipes during that time, including a beer made from ingredients grown on the White House grounds.
