The former White House chef whose body was found late Sunday, after a week-long search in the New Mexico mountains, died from drowning, state police said Tuesday.
Medical examiners ruled 61-year-old Walter Scheib's death as accidental after police saw no signs of foul play, according to a news release. The circumstances surrounding how he died were not immediately known.
Related: Body of Former White House Chef Missing in New Mexico Mountains Found
Scheib's body was found off of the Yerba Canyon hiking trail near Taos in northern New Mexico, where he set off on a solo hiking trip June 13, state police said. After an extensive search, rescue crews found him submerged in a mountain drainage that was flowing with runoff. He was wearing a windbreaker jacket, running pants and tennis shoes.
Scheib served as a White House executive chef under presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush after he first caught the attention of Hillary Clinton at a West Virginia resort. He also appeared on Food Network's "Iron Chef America" in 2006.
