Shock Disappearance At Obama Estate, Search Called Off
President Obama's Martha's Vineyard estate is at the center of a tragedy after rescue workers found the body of a missing 43-year-old paddleboarder Monday morning.
The search for the missing man began after witnesses reported to Edgartown Police that he had gone underwater and then emerged briefly while struggling to stay afloat before submerging again around 7:46 pm Sunday evening.
Massachusetts State Police said: "Shortly before 10 AM the body of the missing paddle boarder was recovered from Edgartown Great Pond by Massachusetts State Police divers. MSP Underwater Recovery Unit divers made the recovery after the victim’s body was located by Massachusetts Environmental Police Officers deploying side-scan sonar from a boat."
The man's body was found in the eight-foot-deep waters approximately 100 feet away from the shore of the pond, which is adjacent to Obama's sprawling $ 12 million estate.
The US Coast Guard, Edgartown Fire, Air Wing, detectives, and Dukes County Sheriff's Department were all part of the rescue mission. They were using divers and boats with side-scan sonar in a bid to find the paddleboarder. The Marthas Vineyard Times reported that the dispatch address for the incident came from the former president's waterfront property. It is unclear if Obama, 61, and his family are currently staying at the estate.
The deceased man has not yet been identified by police, however, his paddle board and hat were recovered Sunday night.
MV Times reported that investigators have been interviewing witnesses, including the other paddleboarder who was out at the time of the incident.
The man did not have a lifejacket when he went missing, according to authorities.
The Obama family has visited the island every summer since Barack was elected President. Obama himself is an avid paddleboarder and has been photographed doing so throughout the years.
The Secret Service did not respond to Fox News' request for comment about the incident.
The Office of the Cape and Islands District Attorney's Office and Edgartown Police are investigating the man's death.
The Edgartown Police Department said in a statement: 'EPD is assisting multiple agencies searching for a missing adult male paddle boarder in Edgartown Great Pond. Please remain away from this area and allow emergency responders to perform their search.'
This Saturday would have been the harrowing anniversary of the death of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, whose reported last words were urging her family to "fight on."
🔥🚨BREAKING: Dead Body found at Obama’s Martha’s Vineyard estate in search for a black 43-year-old male paddleboarder, who drowned in the pond attached to the estate: 911 call was made from ex-President's $12M property last night. pic.twitter.com/AOzcp8pWxc
— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) July 24, 2023