Newly released Secret Service records show the chaotic early moments when agents rushed to rescue Barack Obama's personal chef in Martha's Vineyard as he struggled to get a motorboat into the murky waters with just 15 minutes of daylight.
Agents tried and failed to get two motorboats on the property working, at least one of which belonged to the Secret Service, before successfully starting a third groundskeeper's boat.
But it was already too late. Tafari Campbell, 45, never surfaced the night of July 23 and his body was recovered from Edgartown Great Pond the next day.
Judicial Watch, a conservative activist group, successfully sued the Department of Homeland Security to obtain officer incident reports and related materials.
The 33 pages are heavily redacted and in fact mirror the stories already given by state and local police – that Campbell drowned while paddle boarding.
Secret Service records show the chaotic early moments when agents rushed to try to save the Obamas' personal chef, Tafari Campbell, who drowned while paddle boarding in Martha's Vineyard
The Obama residence on Martha's Vineyard. Tafari Campbell, 45, visited the resort island in late July and was paddle boarding near the Obamas' summer home
But new information was revealed, including the last name of the woman who was paddleboarding with Campbell when he drowned: Taylor.
DailyMail.com previously identified her as a 26-year-old Obama staffer. The communication also includes some details about the rescue and the tragic aftermath.
One officer, John Crunkilton Jr., recalled Campbell and the other employee leaving the president's residence on their way to the water.
“They grabbed two stand-up paddleboards and headed to the water at the Edgartown Great Pond,” an officer wrote the next day.
“About 20 to 30 minutes later, while I was in (redacted), I saw (redacted) running towards me from the northwest (redacted) while frantically waving her arms at me. I ran out of the booth and met her halfway across the lawn, directly in front of the house. She fell to the ground and declared that Tafari had drowned.
“She stated that he fell into the water and struggled for a few seconds before giving up and sinking under the water,” the incident report continues. “She had pushed one of the paddleboards towards him, but he couldn't grab it.”
He said that Taylor, a relatively new staffer, had to paddle about 50 to 75 yards to shore and then run without shoes through a “rough, rugged area” to reach the officer, and that “she stated that she did not once knew whose property she was running on.”
Campbell had been paddleboarding with a woman, another Obama staffer, when he fell from his board and drowned in Edgartown Great Pond on July 23. She was identified in Secret Service records as “Ms. Taylor,” a staff member.
The officer stated in his report that he informed the command post that someone should call 911, and that he also asked the woman to show him where the incident occurred.
“She said it was too late that he had drowned, but that she would help,” Crunkiton wrote.
He reported that two fellow officers “drove to the boat in the car,” and that one “attempted to start one of the boats but had difficulty lowering the engine.”
“I went down with (redacted) but told her to go ahead and yelled at SA (redacted) and SSA (redacted) that I would run to get the keys to our USSS boat,” he continued. “I sprinted to the (command post), grabbed the keys and sprinted back towards the boats. A similar problem occurred with the engine of the second boat. We jumped into a third groundskeeper's boat and it worked without any problems.'
He sat up front with Taylor, the other paddleboarder, as she led them to the drowning site, about a quarter mile away.
She explained that Campbell did not have a life jacket and was wearing black shorts and a black shirt with no shoes.
“The search started at about 7.45pm with the sun setting just after 8pm so we were short on time,” Crunkilton noted.
They quickly found his hat and then his paddle, floating. They then found the paddleboard washed up on shore.
He took off his firearm and jumped into the water where he was believed to have fallen, and searched for 10 to 20 minutes, he stated. They continue the search in the dark, with flashlights.
They were then called to the Wilson's Landing Incident Command Post, where President Obama met with local fire departments, state police and other local agencies.
“(Redacted) and I got out at the (incident command post) and she gave a brief briefing to (Obama) who asked questions,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, officers were told Campbell was wearing an Apple Watch and hoped they could locate him by pinging the watch. His phone was searched in the house.
By then, officers were ordered to stand back from the drowning site while four divers searched. The search was stopped around 11:30 p.m
Crunkilton rejoined the search around 8:30 the next morning.
“The water was extremely murky, it was almost impossible to see my hands a few feet in front of me as I swam,” he wrote.
A rescue boat with sonar then located the body.
“They dropped two buoys and asked us to look between them,” he recalls. 'While I was diving with a mask and snorkel, I dived down to see if I could find the body. I held my arms out to the sides, thinking I wouldn't be able to see the body, but I might be able to bump into him.'
Campbell's death was officially ruled an accidental drowning, but authorities have yet to investigate how an apparently skilled swimmer, who was paddleboarding near the ex-president's summer home, could have drowned in shallow water.
Former President Barack Obama paid a moving tribute to his personal chef weeks after he drowned in a pond near his Martha's Vineyard estate on July 25.
Minutes later, the sonar boat dropped another buoy, where other divers retrieved the body.
The secret service kept each other informed of developments in internal communications.
“Please keep Tafari in your prayers and I will update the team as soon as we have new information,” a deputy director wrote as the search was underway that first night.
In another message the next day, July 24, Special Agent in Charge (SAIC) Ben Murray pointed out that the drowning was beginning to receive press attention, but authorities were still trying to reach Campbell's wife in Virginia and had a plane chartered. to take her to Martha's Vineyard.
The next day, a member of the Obama Protective Division discussed the grim news with colleagues.
“By now we should all be familiar with the untimely passing of Tafari Campbell, (redacted) personal chef,” Ben Murray wrote. 'Tafari has been part of the team for a number of years and I'm sure many of you have had the opportunity to 'taste his work'.
“Tafari's passing brings tremendous sadness to our team and while we were not the overnight recipients of his culinary prowess, we will certainly miss his infectious enthusiasm, dedication and invaluable contributions to the mission, especially: GREAT FOOD!”
The chef was originally hired by the George W. Bush White House and stayed on when Obama became president. In 2017, he left to work for the Obamas. He is pictured here with his family
He said there would be a grief counselor on the island 24 hours a day offering his services.
Murray also noted that he would host a special “all the buffalo wings you can eat night” for officers to pay their respects at a local restaurant.
“As sad as this time is, let it also serve as a reminder to cherish our relationships, both inside and outside of work,” he continued.
“Together we will honor Tafari's memory and find strength in unity.”
Campbell's death was officially ruled an accidental drowning, but authorities have yet to investigate how an apparently skilled swimmer, who was paddleboarding near the ex-president's summer home, could have drowned in shallow water.
In October, DailyMail.com obtained audio of the dramatic 911 calls from the Dukes County Sheriff's Office, in which an officer reported that swimmers were already in the water trying to find the “house guest” who had fallen.