The body of beloved chef Naomi Pomeroy has been discovered nearly four days after she tragically passed away in an inner tubing accident. She was only 49.
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The body of the Top Chef Masters alum was found in the Willamette River at Hyak Park, Oregon, on Wednesday around 10 a.m., as announced by the Benton County Sheriff’s Office in a press release.
“People canoeing on the river spotted a body and called 911,” the Sheriff’s office said in the statement.
Marine deputies swiftly arrived at the scene. They found Pomeroy on a shallow section of bedrock in the middle of the river, surrounded by one to two feet of water. “Deputies released Naomi to a funeral home and notified her family of the recovery,” the Sheriff’s office said.
Pomeroy had been missing since Saturday after a tubing excursion in Corvallis, Oregon with her husband, Kyle Linden Webster, and a third person went terribly wrong. The restaurateur was paddle boarding when her board became entangled on an exposed snag in the water, authorities revealed on Tuesday.
Upon Discovering Naomi Pomeroy’s Body, Authorities Reveal the Probably Cause of Death
“One of the adults, Naomi, was pulled under the water and unable to free herself due to the paddleboard leash,” authorities explained.
Meanwhile, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office reported that Pomeroy was the first drowning victim of the year.
Pomeroy, born in Corvallis, Oregon, began her culinary career at 24 with Ripe Catering in 1999. She later founded Family Supper, an underground supper club. She also opened Gotham Coffee Shop in 2002, followed by Clarklewis in 2004 and Gotham Tavern in 2005.
After closing or selling her previous ventures, Pomeroy opened the acclaimed restaurant Beast in 2007. In 2020, it transformed into Ripe Cooperative, a marketplace and restaurant with preordered meal boxes.
In June, Pomeroy launched Cornet Custard, a frozen custard pop-up at her flower shop, Colibri. She also celebrated the fourth anniversary of her seasonal summer restaurant, Garden Party.
Amidst her diverse business ventures, Pomeroy published a cookbook titled Taste & Technique in 2016. She also competed on Iron Chef in 2010 and Top Chef Masters in 2011. Additionally, she appeared as a guest judge on several shows, including Knife Fight, Top Chef, and Bobby’s Triple Threat.