A 911 call made by Secret Service agents based at the Obama family's summer home in Martha's Vineyard reveals the confusion in the moments after Tafari Campbell, the former president's personal chef, was reported drowning.
The 45-year-old had been paddleboarding in a pond near Turkeyland Cove while visiting the Obamas when the incident occurred on July 23, police said at the time. His body was recovered the following morning from the Edgartown Great Pond, near the former first family's Massachusetts residence.
The call made by agents to emergency responders suggests the Secret Service began search-and-rescue operations as soon as Campbell was reported as drowning. Massachusetts State Police said shortly after the incident that he "appeared to briefly struggle to stay on the surface and then submerged and did not resurface."
"We have a male drowning in the back of the property right now," the Secret Service agent told the dispatcher, according to a tape of the calls obtained by the Daily Mail newspaper. "We have our rescue swimmers. They're attempting to go out there right now."
They added: "Someone came running up to our back post saying that a gentleman—it's just a guest of the house—is out there drowning. So right now, [a] rescue swimmer is going out there."
State police previously said there had been another paddleboarder in the water with Campbell at the time, but this person is not explicitly mentioned on the tape, which has been redacted for security reasons.
A Secret Service spokesperson declined to comment on the 911 tapes. They said: "This was an incredibly tragic day for everyone, and our thoughts are with the Campbell and Obama families and the former president's staff."
In the initial 911 call, the Secret Service agent asks for "at least an ambulance" but seemed unsure about the need for further rescue boats.
"Do you need an ambulance or do you need water rescue as well?" asks the dispatcher.
"They didn't advise right now. I would say at least an ambulance," replies the agent. "I don't know what they're doing in the back of property right now. We have our rescue swimmer who's getting the boat right now. So I would say at least an ambulance."
Massachusetts State Police said following the incident that the search for Campbell was called off that night to allow search-and-rescue teams to "re-equip and assess [the] next steps." His body was found using side-scan sonar about 100 feet from the shore at a depth of around 8 feet.
After the first call, a few minutes later at 7:53 p.m. ET, the Secret Service agent contacted the local sheriff's office again with an update.
"Our rescue swimmers aren't able to locate the gentleman that was reported drowning," they said. "They're out in the water right now, but as of now they don't know where he is."
The agent gave a description of what Campbell was wearing when he went missing, and noted that those searching for him at the time "have his paddleboard and his hat." They also confirmed he had not been wearing a life vest, but can be heard checking several details over their radio with other agents to answer the dispatcher's questions.
Tafari Campbell's death has since sparked a wave of conspiracy theories, fueled by a lack of information about the incident that was likely due to the security arrangements for the Obamas and their property. Barack and Michelle Obama were not at the residence at the time of the incident, police have said.
After his body was recovered, the Obamas paid tribute to Campbell, whom they described as a "truly wonderful man" and 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," they said. "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."
In a statement, they added: "He's been part of our lives ever since, and our hearts are broken that he's gone. Today we join everyone who knew and loved Tafari—especially his wife Sherise and their twin boys, Xavier and Savin—in grieving the loss of a truly wonderful man."
Update 10/25/23, 10:52 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include comment from a Secret Service spokesperson.
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Aleks Phillips is a Newsweek U.S. News Reporter based in London. His focus is on U.S. politics and the environment. ... Read more
