Top Chef Masters Star Naomi Pomeroy Dies at 49 After Drowning in Inner Tube Accident

Naomi Pomeroy, a trailblazing Portland chef and owner of Beast, Expatriate and Cornet Custard, has died. She was 49.

On July 15, Pomeroy’s family confirmed that the chef is feared to have drowned while tubing on the Willamette River on July 13, according to Portland Monthly. She is survived by her husband Kyle Webster and daughter August, 23.

On July 14, Benton County Patrol Lieutenant Toby Bottorff told local outlet Kezi that a woman, whose body had not been recovered yet, went under water and did not come back up while inner-tubing on Willamette River. According to the authorities, she was not wearing a life jacket, the outlet reported. Her husband and one other tuber survived, per the report.

PEOPLE reached out to the Benton County Sheriff's Office but did not immediately hear back.

Born in Corvallis, Oregon, Pomeroy, opened her first culinary venture at age 24 with Ripe Catering in 1999. Shortly afterward, she launched an underground supper club called Family Supper before “going legit” and opening Gotham Coffee Shop in 2002, Clarklewis in 2004 and Gotham Tavern in 2005, according to her cookbook author bio.

After those ventures closed or were sold, Pomeroy opened up her buzzy and intimate restaurant Beast in 2007. In 2020, the space then transformed into Ripe Cooperative, a marketplace and restaurant selling preordered meal boxes. 

During her time at Beast, she and Webster partnered up to open a cocktail bar, Expatriate, in 2013.

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Just this June, Pomeroy opened Cornet Custard, which started as a frozen custard pop-up in her flower shop Colibri. She also announced her fourth year of Garden Party, a seasonal restaurant only open in the summer.

Between all of her business ventures, Pomeroy also published a cookbook, Taste & Technique, in 2016. She appeared on cooking competition shows, including Top Chef Masters in 2011.

She was recognized by outlets like Bon Appètit, Food & Wine and Oprah as a chef to watch. In 2014, she won a James Beard Award for Best Chef Pacific Northwest. 

Her family has asked for privacy at this time, according to Portland Monthly. There has been an outpouring of condolences for the talented chef, including from 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.

Fellow chefs have also shared their regards 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.”