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Former White House Chef Dies on New Mexico Hiking Trail

Search and rescue personnel recovered the body near Lobo Peak.

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The body of former White House executive chef Walter Scheib was located Sunday on a hiking trail near Taos, New Mexico. Scheib’s girlfriend reported him missing nearly a week earlier.

The Taos Newsreports that Scheib left for a hike on June 13 near the Taos Ski Valley in New Mexico and never made it back to his car. Scheib apparently did not leave behind an itinerary.

Search and rescue personnel recovered Scheib’s body in a river approximately 1.7 miles from the Yerba Canyon trailhead where his car was identified on Tuesday.

The cause of death is still under investigation. Officials speculate that Scheib may have summited nearby Lobo Peak before encountering severe weather on his descent.

Scheib was the White House’s executive chef from 1994 to 2005, serving presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

Read More: The Taos News

Update 6/25/15: Authorities have reported the cause of Scheib’s death as accidental drowning.

Read More: The Taos News

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