Obama’s Employee Found Dead Near Obama’s Home

President Barack Obama makes a statement while at the White House in Washington on Aug. 1, 2014. Tafari CampbellPhoto byLarry Downing—Reuters / White House

In Edgartown Great Pond, 45-year-old Tafari Campbell of Dumfries, Virginia, was reported missing Sunday night.

A paddleboarder went missing Sunday night in a pond near Barack Obama's Martha's Vineyard home. His body was recovered in the ocean on Monday morning.

The 45-year-old man's body was found by authorities just before 10 a.m. in 8 feet of water, some 100 feet from the coast.

When someone dialed 911 just before 8 o'clock on Sunday to report a "possible drowning," emergency services were dispatched to the Obamas' house at 79 Turkeyland Cove Road, on the border of Edgartown Great Pond.

A witness allegedly saw the man struggle in the water after falling off his board before he went under and did not come back up, according to the MV Times. The search and rescue efforts were centered on the 30-acre estate. The victim was last seen wearing only black clothing, sans a life jacket. When officers got to the scene Sunday night, they discovered his paddleboard and cap right away.

Divers were dispatched to the scene, but it took a Massachusetts Environmental Police boat with side-scan sonar to find the body. The Coast Guard, the State Police, and the local fire and police agencies all collaborated to support the search.

The Obamas released a statement about Campbell's death:

“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. 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.”

According to the Massachusetts State Police, Campbell worked for the late president and was on vacation at Martha's Vineyard when he passed away. Barack and Michelle Obama weren't in the house when the accident happened, according to MSP.