The Devastating Death Of Top Chef Star Naomi Pomeroy

Naomi Pomeroy, a pioneering self-taught chef and owner of many acclaimed restaurants that defined the Portland fine-dining scene, died on July 13 in a devastating inner-tubing accident, as reported by Portland Monthly. Pomeroy, her husband Kyle Linden Webster, and another friend went tubing down the Willamette River on Saturday with two inner tubes and a paddle board tied together. Reportedly, the group hit a submerged branch and got pulled under fast-moving water. Chef Pomeroy became trapped underwater by the paddle board tether, causing her to drown. Her husband and friend survived the accident and were recovered by the Corvallis Fire Department.

Officials from the Benton County Sheriff's Office, who are heading up the investigation, are still searching downriver for Pomeroy's body underwater and on the shoreline. The group was about 80 miles from Portland in Corvallis, Oregon, when the accident happened. "I am dedicated to locating Naomi to bring her home to her family and loved ones," Sheriff Van Arsdall said in a press release on Facebook.

Besides being an impressive chef and restauranteur, Pomeroy has joined the ranks of other Food Network stars who have passed away. She was a guest judge on multiple episodes of the Bravo hit "Top Chef," competed on "Top Chef Masters," and was on an episode of "Iron Chef." Pomeroy was born in Corvallis in 1974.

Naomi Pomeroy rose to Portland culinary fame with the opening of her French-inspired restaurant, Beast, in 2007. This restaurant, with communal tables and a seasonally-changing tasting menu, was a new way of dining for Portland and transformed the city's culinary scene.

Other business ventures included renowned cocktail bar, Expatriate, which Pomeroy opened in 2013 with her husband, a flower shop called Colibri, and a frozen custard shop known as Cornet Custard that opened in May. Pomeroy was in the fourth year of her seasonal summer restaurant, Garden Party, which featured a $95 set menu highlighting ingredients grown in her home garden. Her only cookbook, "Taste and Techniques: Recipes to Elevate Your Home Cooking," is a reflection of her unique style of simple yet exquisite meals anchored in professional French techniques everyone should learn. 

Pomeroy's excellence and dedication to the craft made her a role model to many young chefs, especially young women, and her impact on the nation's culinary scene was significant. The chef was widely recognized for her greatness and was notably awarded the James Beard Award in 2014. U.S. representative for Oregon, Earl Blumenauer, worked with Pomeroy, who helped start the Independent Restaurant Coalition with many other notable chefs, to save restaurants during the pandemic. He said in a statement on Instagram, "What a loss. Naomi Pomeroy 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."