911 calls released after Obama chef’s accidental drowning.
Audio of the 911 calls following the disappearance of former President Barack Obama’s chef, Tafari Campbell, has been publicly released by several media outlets and widely shared on social media.
Authorities launched a search and rescue operation on the evening of July 23 at Edgartown Great Pond, near the Obamas’ home in Martha’s Vineyard, after it was reported Mr. Campbell had fallen in the water and sunk beneath the surface.
Mr. Campbell was later found deceased shortly before 10 a.m. on July 24 by Massachusetts State Police. His death has officially been ruled by authorities as an accidental drowning, with no foul play involved.
Details around the case have been highly scrutinized by the public, specifically regarding whether President Obama was present, Mr. Campbell’s swimming ability, and the depth of the water.
Calls Reveal 1st Moments After Disappearance
In the heavily redacted audio of the freshly released 911 calls, which deliberately obscures any identifying features of individuals, a Secret Service agent informs the 911 operator that a “guest of the house,” had fallen into the water and was missing.
“We have a male drowning in the back of the property right now,” the agent says in the first call at 7:46 p.m.
“We have our rescue swimmers. They’re attempting to go out there right now.”
As the call unfolds, the 911 operator says he will send an ambulance to the location while also promising to contact the local fire chief and see if “he wants to drop a boat in there.”
“If we get him out of the water, I can give you another situation report; they’re not over the radio right now,” the agent continues.
“We will have the gate open, and we’ll send the ambulance down to the front of the house, and I’ll call you back once I hear, once they get that support down by the water,” the agent adds.
The second phone call started a few minutes later, with the same agent providing an update to the Dukes County Sheriff’s Office, informing them the man in the water was still missing. However, rescuers at the location had recovered his hat and a paddle board.
“They’re out in the water right now but as of now they don’t know where he is,” the agent says.
The dispatcher ends the second call with a promise that “everybody was on the way” to “meet with you guys and gather their resources.”
According to authorities, Mr. Campbell’s body was later recovered 100 feet from the pond’s shore, at a depth of approximately eight feet. Officials said at the time that the State Police Detective Unit was jointly investigating the fatality for the Cape and Islands District and Edgartown Police. It was also revealed that Mr. Campbell was not wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident.
It was confirmed by police the Obamas were not present at their nearby residence at the time of Mr. Campbell’s accident, but were on the island. They both later shared tributes to Mr. Campbell in a joint statement, describing him as “a talented sous chef” who had become a “beloved part of our family.”
Audio from the two initial calls by the Secret Service agent was reportedly shared by the Dukes County Sheriff’s Office, which fielded the call. The Epoch Times has reached out to them and President Obama’s office for comment.
Campbell Not Considered Strong Swimmer by Family
According to Judicial Watch, an activist group that files Freedom of Information Act lawsuits to investigate alleged misconduct by government officials, President Obama arrived at the accident scene via motorcade around 8:40 p.m., after being out at dinner, roughly an hour after the initial 911 call from the Secret Service agent.
In the 40 pages of redacted records obtained by Judicial Watch from Massachusetts State Police, a female Obama employee told authorities she saw Mr. Campbell fall off his paddle board. He then struggled in the water and yelled for help, before sinking beneath the water in the space of only a few moments.
According to the records, the unnamed Obama employee tried to help Mr. Campbell, but by the time she reached his paddle board, he was already underneath the water, which she described as very murky. The witness was again interviewed in the Obama residence the following morning, with the former president in the room.
Videos posted on Mr. Campbell’s Instagram page in 2019 show him swimming laps in a pool. However, the documents from Judicial Watch reveal that Mr. Campbell’s family told police he had undertaken swimming lessons in the past but described his overall swimming ability as poor and he was ultimately “not a great swimmer.”
The documents claim there is a Secret Service video showing Mr. Campbell and the unnamed Obama employee entering the water. It’s also claimed the video shows the Secret Service emergency response in the immediate aftermath of the drowning.
The waters in which Mr. Campbell drowned, Edgartown Great Pond, span 890 acres. The Obamas’ 6,892-foot mansion is located at the edge of the pond. They bought it for $11.75 million in 2019. Before the Obamas, Wycliffe Grousbeck, who owns the Boston Celtics, owned the estate.
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Capabilities, and the response time of emergency services.
The release of the 911 calls provides some insight into the events that took place on the evening of July 23. In the calls, witnesses can be heard describing the incident and providing information to emergency dispatchers. The recordings reveal that there was a sense of urgency and concern among the callers as they reported that Mr. Campbell had fallen into the water and was in need of immediate assistance.
Despite the efforts of emergency responders, Mr. Campbell was unable to be saved. The recordings show that emergency services arrived at the scene within a reasonable amount of time. However, due to the nature of the incident and the time it took for them to locate Mr. Campbell, his chances of survival were slim.
The release of the 911 calls has sparked further discussion and speculation among the public. Some are questioning why President Obama was not present during the incident, while others are focusing on Mr. Campbell’s swimming abilities and whether he could have done more to save himself. There are also concerns about the response time of emergency services and whether more could have been done to locate Mr. Campbell sooner.
It is important to remember that accidents happen, and in this case, it has been determined that Mr. Campbell’s death was a tragic accident. The official ruling of accidental drowning suggests that there was no foul play involved. It is a heartbreaking loss for Mr. Campbell’s family, friends, and the Obamas, who have expressed their deepest condolences and are mourning his passing.
While it is natural for the public to have questions and concerns, it is essential to respect the privacy of those affected by this tragedy. Speculation and unfounded accusations only serve to further the pain and suffering of those grieving the loss of a loved one. It is important to allow the authorities to conduct their investigation and provide answers in due time.
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