Celebrity chef Naomi Pomeroy died Saturday night at the age of 49 in an apparent drowning.
Pomeroy’s family confirmed her death and said she was inner tubing with her husband in the Willamette River near Corvallis at the time, according to a local news outlet, Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB). The Benton County Sheriff’s Office said marine deputies and firefighters were dispatched to the scene after receiving reports that a couple had been pulled into the river and a woman had been dragged under the water. The sheriff’s office said strong currents hindered their recovery efforts and were a factor in the drowning, according to OPB.
LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 22: Chef Naomi Pomeroy at the All-Star Chef Classic – All-Star Lunch at L.A. LIVE on March 22, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for AEG)
PASADENA, CA – JANUARY 16: (L-R) Naomi Pomeroy of ‘AMERICAN MASTERS: Chefs Flight’ speaks onstage during the PBS portion of the 2017 Winter Television Critics Association Press Tour at Langham Hotel on January 16, 2017 in Pasadena, California. Legendary chefs Jacques Pepin and Alice Waters also pictured. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
The “Top Chef Masters” contestant and “Top Chef” guest judge was not wearing a life jacket at the time of her death and her body has not yet been discovered.
Rescue teams used sonar and underwater pole cameras in an attempt to locate Pomeroy underwater, but in spite of their efforts, they were unsuccessful. Marine units are still deployed as of Tuesday morning and continue to work toward recovering her body, according to OPB. The investigation into her death continues.
Pomeroy was a familiar face on television and was the award-winning chef and owner of the restaurant, Beast, which opened in 2007. She was highly revered in the culinary world and has been one of the most acclaimed chefs in the country and particularly the city of Portland for well over a decade. Pomeroy and her husband owned a number of establishments, including a cocktail bar across the street from Beast, called Expatriate, which opened its doors to the public over a decade ago.
LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 22: Chef Naomi Pomeroy at the All-Star Chef Classic – All-Star Lunch at L.A. LIVE on March 22, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for AEG)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – AUGUST 12: (L-R) Naomi Pomeroy and Zachary Scott Carothers of Portugal. The Man host ‘The Lords and Lady of Portland’ on the Gastro Magic Stage during the 2018 Outside Lands Music And Arts Festival at Golden Gate Park on August 12, 2018 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by FilmMagic/FilmMagic)
The talented chef earned the coveted James Beard award in 2014. (RELATED: Kobe Bryant’s Father, Joe Bryant, Dead At 69)
Pomeroy was reportedly in the process of opening a new restaurant in Portland later in 2024.
This story continues to develop.
