Medical Examiner: Former White House chef drowned

TAOS, N.M., June 24 (UPI) -- The former White House chef whose body was found after a week-long search in the New Mexico mountains died from drowning, officials said.

Investigators said they do not suspect foul play or suspicious circumstances in the death of Walter Scheib, 61. The circumstances behind his death were not immediately known.

Scheib was the White House executive chef from 1994 to 2005. He was reported missing on June 16 after he set off hiking in the Taos mountains three days earlier. Scheib had just moved to the area.

Authorities conducted an extensive ground and air search, finally using data from his cell phone to determine a general location. His body was discovered Sunday about two miles from the trail, hidden from view by thick vegetation and a steep rocky decline.

"High mountain peaks, deep canyons and dense vegetation made the air search difficult," the medical examiner's office said. "The Civil Air Patrol and New Mexico National Guard also provided ground resources to search the area. Rough terrain made it difficult for ground operations to conduct searching."

The National Weather Service said thunderstorms hit the Taos area the entire week he was missing, and nearly an inch of rain fell June 16. Air search efforts stopped at times because of the storms.

Scheib was hired in 1994 by then-first lady Hillary Clinton and served as the executive chef for the White House until 2005. He was credited with bringing New American-style cuisine to the White House, wrote a White House cooking memoir and appeared on television shows including Iron Chef America and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

Andrew V. Pestano contributed to this report.