Naomi Pomeroy, ‘Top Chef Masters’ star and James Beard Award winner, dies in tubing accident at 49

The search for award-winning Portland chef Naomi Pomeroy’s body continued Tuesday after she drowned in a tragic tubing accident over the weekend, officials said. She was 49.

Pomeroy was tubing with two others in the Willamette River near Corvallis, Oregon, when she was suddenly pulled under the water after getting caught on a snag. A paddleboard leash held her down, according to an investigation by the Benton County Sheriff’s Office.

Pomeroy’s family confirmed to the Portland Monthly that one of the other tubers was her husband, fellow chef Kyle Linden Webster. Fire department personnel were able to bring Webster and the third tuber safely to shore but were unable to recover Pomeroy’s body. Sonar, underwater cameras, and drones were unsuccessful due to heavy debris, officials said. Search efforts continue as the mission is reevaluated daily.

“I am dedicated to locating Naomi to bring her home to her family and loved ones,” said Sheriff Van Arsdall in a statement Tuesday. “I want to thank all involved in the search and recovery mission and support during this difficult time.”

A beacon of culinary innovation and a trailblazer in Portland’s dining scene, Pomeroy taught herself how to cook before rising to fame with her French-influenced restaurant Beast, which won her the prestigious James Beard Award in 2014.

Before that, she was selected as Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chef in 2009 and gained greater popularity when she competed in “Iron Chef” in 2010 and “Top Chef Masters” in 2011. She was also a recurring judge on “Top Chef.”

“The larger Portland community is in shock that one of its brightest stars has met a sudden and tragic end to a vibrant life,” food critic Karen Brooks wrote in Portland Monthly.

Pomeroy had recently opened a frozen custard shop, Cornet Custard, that offers uniquely flavored scoops of thick eggy custard in beeswax-coated cake cones. She was also preparing to open a new restaurant next door, alongside fellow restauranteur Luke Dirks.

“I was always inspired by her extreme creativity & commitment to her craft. She was always ahead of the curve and stood strong for everything she believed about what was the proper way to feed people good food & support her culinary community,” fellow chef and TV personality Amanda Freitag said in a tribute on X.

Chefs Dominique Crenn and Gavin Kaysen also posted tributes, remembering Pomeroy as a “beautiful soul.”

When Pomeroy was listed as one of Oprah’s 10 Women on the Rise in 2010, she told the magazine that she would like to be remembered “as someone who helped make the idea of knowing where our food comes from an everyday phenomenon.”

In a statement Monday, Congressman Earl Blumenauer mourned the 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.”