The personal chef of former president Barack Obama has drowned near the family’s home in Massachusetts.

The body of 45-year-old Tafari Campbell was recovered from Edgartown Great Pond, near the Obama’s home on Martha’s Vineyard on Monday.

The chef, from Virginia, was still employed by the Obama family, who were not staying at the property at the time of the accident.

In a statement, the former president and his wife Michelle Obama said Mr Campbell was a “beloved part of our family”.

They said they had asked the chef to stay with them after leaving the White House in 2017, where he had worked as a sous chef.

“He’s been part of our lives ever since, and our hearts are broken that he’s gone,” the Obamas said, adding that he was a “warm, fun and extraordinarily kind person”.

The chef – and keen paddleboarder – had been reported missing after a fellow paddleboarder reported seeing Mr Campbell struggle, go under the water and not resurface on 24 July.

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Police paused the search and on Monday confirmed a boat had located the body around 30 meters (100ft) from the shore.

They said he was not wearing a life jacket.

Mr Campbell is survived by his wife Sherise and their twin boys, the Obamas said.

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