EDGARTOWN, Mass. (AP) 鈥 The drowning death of former President Barack Obama鈥檚 personal chef near the family鈥檚 home on Martha鈥檚 Vineyard last month has been ruled an accident by the Massachusetts medical examiner.
Tafari Campbell, 45, of Dumfries, Virginia in Edgartown Great Pond on July 24, the Massachusetts State Police said.
Campbell was employed by the Obamas and was visiting Martha鈥檚 Vineyard. The Obamas were not present at the home at the time of the accident.
Campbell's death was determined to be an accidental drowning following 鈥渟ubmersion in a body of water,鈥 Timothy McGuirk, a spokesperson for the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, said Wednesday.
In a statement following his drowning, the former president and his wife, Michelle Obama, called Campbell a 鈥渂eloved part of our family.鈥
鈥淲hen we first met him, he was a talented sous chef at the White House 鈥 creative and passionate about food, and its ability to bring people together,鈥 the couple said. 鈥淚n 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.鈥
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why, when we were getting ready to leave the White House, we asked Tafari to stay with us, and he generously agreed. He鈥檚 been part of our lives ever since, and our hearts are broken that he鈥檚 gone.鈥
A fellow paddleboarder reported that Campbell had struggled on the surface, went under and didn鈥檛 resurface.
State police said they used sonar from a boat to locate Campbell's body about 100 feet (30 meters) from shore at a depth of about 8 feet (2.4 meters). Campbell was not wearing a life jacket, police said.
The Obamas said Campbell is survived by his wife and their twin boys.
Campbell's death sparked a as users shared conspiracy theories and baseless speculation about what happened.
