Bravo TV’s Top Chef Masters star Naomi Pomeroy has died following a tragic boating accident. The award-winning chef, 49, was reportedly inner tubing with her husband Kyle Linden Webster and a friend in Oregon when the accident occurred on Saturday, July 13.
According to local media, their flotilla flipped in fast-moving currents after hitting a snag on the Willamette River. Oregon Live reports that Mr Webster and their friend survived and search and rescue was dispatched to recover Ms Pomeroy’s body.
The Benton County Sheriff’s Office confirmed her body was recovered from the water at around 8.25pm on Saturday, MailOnline reports. It is understood that she was not wearing a life jacket.
Tributes have been pouring in for the cookbook author following the horrific incident. Gary Okazaki, a regular at her Beast restaurant in Portland, told KOIN.com: “She was a rock star chef. When they write the history of the Portland culinary scene, she’s going to have her own chapter.
“It was her personality, the cult of personality of Naomi. Just the magnetism. When she was around, you could feel it.”
Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer, who worked with Ms Pomeroy to support restaurants during the Covid pandemic, said: “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.”
Tragically, two weeks before her death Ms Pomeroy announced plans to host a dinner series called Garden Party with restauranteur Luke Dirks.
The 36-person dinner was set to take place on the site of her forthcoming restaurant which was to open in the Autumn.
The James Beard Award-winner wrote on Instagram: “Finally time to tell y’all about a little thing we’re up to.”
She described the event as a “few dinners a week in a hidden, gorgeous, gem of a garden” and signed off: “See you all again so soon! I can’t wait to cook with you again!”
Her final post has been inundated with messages from shocked fans following news of her death. One said: “Wow I don’t know what to say. Rest easy Naomi. You had such an impact on (Portland) food. So sad to hear this. Speechless.”
Another echoed: “A sad reminder of how fleeting life is and we need to enjoy it to its fullest. It seems she lived that way, especially lately.”
Ms Pomeroy famously had no formal culinary or business training and developed her skills by watching other chefs on TV.
Pomeroy starred on Top Chef Masters in 2011, and won the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Pacific Northwest in 2014.