The personal chef of ex-US president Barack Obama drowned in a lake in the Massachusetts resort community of Martha's Vineyard.
Tafari Campbell, 45, was the subject of a two-day search after a paddle boarder was seen to struggle and go under the water in Edgartown Great Pond near a home owned by the Obamas on Sunday night.
He had been a sous chef at the White House, and came to work for the family after Obama completed his second term in 2016.
In a statement, Barack and Michelle Obama called Mr 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," 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.
“That's why, 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.”
Divers began searching for Mr Campbell on Sunday, after receiving a call that a male paddle boarder had gone into the water and then appeared to struggle before going under, police said.
Campbell's body was recovered from Edgartown Great Pond on Monday, said Massachusetts State Police. Officers said he was not wearing a life jacket.
The chef leaves behind his wife, Sherise, and twin sons.
At the time of his death, the chef, who lived in Dumfries, Virginia, was visiting Martha's Vineyard, but the Obamas were not present, the Massachusetts State Police said.
