911 for Obama chef reported 'possible drowning': Martha's Vineyard becomes ... trends now
The former White House sous chef who drowned in Martha's Vineyard in a paddle boarding accident knew how to swim.
Videos posted to Tafari Campbell's Instagram page showed the 45-year-old chef swimming laps in a pool last year as he worked on 'endurance' training. One of these videos was even hash-tagged #survivalskills.
Those videos came years after Campbell posted a photo of him and his wife in the ocean in Aruba, which was captioned #stillcantswim.
Campbell, a longtime sous chef for the Obamas, vanished Sunday evening while he was out with another paddleboarder on Edgartown Great Pond, Massachusetts. He was last seen struggling to stay above water.
The chef's body was ultimately found Monday morning in the eight-foot-deep waters approximately 100 feet from shore.
Tafari Campbell, 45, drowned while paddle boarding off the coast of Martha's Vineyard over the weekend
Videos posted to his Instagram show the sous chef knew how to swim
Campbell added he was working on 'endurance' training, sharing a photo of his progress on an Apple Watch
Witnesses first told cops Sunday night that a man - later identified as Campbell - went underwater and then briefly reappeared as he struggled to stay afloat, before submerging again around 7.46pm.
The witness - who was not identified - was paddle boarding on Edgartown Great Pond with Campbell.
A massive joint-agency search was launched when a 911 call was made from the Obamas' Martha's Vineyard home on Turkeyland Cove Road. The former president and first lady were not at the residence at the time.
The dispatch call said: 'Edgartown Fire and Water rescue personnel, Turkeyland Cove Road. For a 40-year-old male, possible drowning.'
In the aftermath of the call, Chief Alex Schaeffer of the Edgartown Fire Department told the Vineyard Gazette, island police and firefighters conducted door-to-door searches.
Firefighters also searched the pond's shoreline on foot.
The search efforts resumed Monday morning for the venerated chef who was last seen wearing all black without a lifejacket.
His paddle board and hat were recovered Sunday - and his body was found at around 10am Monday.
That marks a change from 2017, when he posted this photo of him with his wife Sherise with the caption #stillcantswim
Campbell struggled to stay afloat after paddle boarding on Edgartown Great Pond, a witness told authorities. He is pictured here with his wife and two 19-year-old sons
In a statement Monday, the Massachusetts State Police said: 'Shortly before 10 AM the body of the missing paddle boarder 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 US Coast Guard, Edgartown Fire, Air Wing, detectives and Dukes County Sheriff's Department were all part of the rescue mission.'
A command post was later set up at Wilson's Landing, which is across the narrow Cove from Obama's mansion.
Just after midday, Edgartown Police Department confirmed that Wilson's Landing had been reopened. Edgartown Great Pond is an 890 acre body of water.
The investigation into the man’s death is being conducted by state police with the Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office and
