EDGARTOWN, Mass. (NEWSnet/AP) — Former President Barack Obama’s personal chef has drowned near the family’s home on Martha’s Vineyard.

Massachusetts State Police confirmed that the paddleboarder, whose body was recovered from Edgartown Great Pond on Monday, is that of Tafari Campbell, 45, of Dumfries, Virginia.

Campbell was employed by the Obamas and was visiting Martha’s Vineyard. The Obamas were not at the home at the time of the incident.

In a statement, the former president and his wife, Michelle Obama, called Campbell 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,” the couple said. “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.”

A search began Sunday after reports from a fellow paddleboarder that he had struggled on the surface, went under and did not resurface.

The search was paused late Sunday. On Monday, sonar from a boat located the body about 100 feet  from shore at a depth of about 8 feet, state police said. Campbell was not wearing a life jacket, according to police.

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