Naomi Pomeroy has tragically died at the age of 49.
Pomeroy - best known for her time on the cooking reality TV show Top Chef Masters - has passed away after an inner tube accident.
On Tuesday, the Benton County Sheriff's Office in Portland, Oregon said that the star drowned in the Willamette River at approximately 8:25 PM on Saturday (July 13).
"An investigation by BCSO determined three adults recreating on tubes and a paddle board (two tubes were secured together and the paddle board was attached to Naomi), became entangled on an exposed snag in the water," the department said in a news release.
"One of the adults, Naomi, was pulled under the water and unable to free herself due to the paddleboard leash," the statement continued.
The Benton County Sheriff's Office then stated that Corvallis Fire Department - who arrived at the scene first - did their best to recover the 49-year-old's body, but was "unable" to do so.
Officials were able to locate two other adults, including her husband, Kyle Linden Webster, and their friends, but not Pomeroy.
After "searching downriver from the incident site, both by land and water," the authorities suspended the search until the following day, but have still not had any further success in locating the professional chef's body.
"BCSO personnel have been on the water every day since Saturday searching for Naomi and will continue to deploy resources until her recovery," the statement added.
Authorities also sent out a warning to others about the dangers of tying oneself to a paddle board as well as the importance of wearing a life jacket and following "other boating laws and safety precautions."
Born in Corvallis, Oregon, Pomeroy opened her first culinary venture at the age of 24 with Ripe Catering in 1999. She then went on to become involved in multiple other projects including an underground supper club called Family Supper and a coffee shop called Gotham a few years later.
When those ventures came to a close, Pomeroy opened up her restaurant called Beast in 2007.
In 2020, the space then transformed into Ripe Cooperative, a marketplace and restaurant selling preordered meal boxes.
The chef also appeared on cooking competition shows, including Top Chef Masters in 2011 where she was unfortunately eliminated on the episode before the finale, but she made repeated appearances on the show as a guest judge.
Alongside this, she also published a cookbook called Taste & Technique.
More recently, Pomeroy opened up Cornet Custard, which started as a frozen custard pop-up in her flower shop Colibri.
According to Portland Monthly, her family have requested privacy during this difficult period.
In the wake of the news, tributes have been pouring in for the talented chef, and leading the way was none other than Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer.
“What a loss. Naomi was not just a fabulous chef and entrepreneur, but an amazing human being. Her impact went far beyond Portland, helping establish our leadership and reputation for food excellence. She will be greatly missed,” he said in an official statement.
Other chefs have also shared kind words for Pomeroy’s family.
“Just horrible news, we lost another great chef. My heart goes out to Naomi’s family,” Top Chef’s Tom Colicchio posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Cherry Bomb podcast host Kerry Diamond wrote on Instagram, “Im grateful I got to stop and smell the roses with Naomi. I’m so sorry for everyone’s loss. Rest in peace.”
Top Chef Masters also posted a tribute to X, writing: "The Bravo and Top Chef family send our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Chef Naomi Pomeroy. Naomi was a powerhouse chef who made an indelible mark on the culinary industry."
Our thoughts are with Pomeroy's loved ones during this difficult time.
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