Off The Record
Tragic Details: ‘Top Chef’ Star Naomi Pomeroy, 49, Was Found Dead By A River Days After Going Missing
Days after going missing, “Top Chef” star Naomi Pomeroy was discovered dead by a river. Information on the terrible incident has been released, including the location of the river and an official statement from the police.
Sadly, Naomi Pomeroy, who gained notoriety for her culinary demonstrations on “Top Chef,” has passed away. The Portland chef vanished a few days prior, and her body was discovered by a river on July 17. She drowned, as confirmed by a statement from the Benton County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO).
“This morning, July 17, 2024, at about 10:00 am, the deceased body of Naomi Pomeroy was located on the Willamette River about a half mile upstream of Hyak Park between Corvallis and Albany. People canoeing on the river spotted a body and called 9-1-1,” reads the beginning of the message shared on Facebook.
The statement continues by saying that the corpse was found on a shallow portion of bedrock by BCSO marine deputies who had responded to the location. The position is toward the center of the river, where there is one to two feet of water.
Pomeroy, who went missing on July 13, was discovered deceased at the age of 49. “Deputies released Naomi to a funeral home and notified her family of the recovery,” the police statement goes on to share.
According to another part of their message, Pomeroy’s time of death is believed to be around 8:25 pm, on the same day she went missing. “Naomi drowned in the Willamette River near river mile 132 […] about 100 yards upstream from the Mary’s River,” the statement discloses further.
Pomeroy’s family revealed to a news site that they thought she drowned before the police made their statement.
They described how Pomeroy and her spouse, Kyle Linden Webster, went inner tubing on a pleasant river excursion that soon took a terrible turn when their flotilla capsized due to a snag in the murky, swift-moving water. Naomi was submerged and restrained by a leash attached to a paddleboard.
Unfortunately, Webster’s late wife did not make it back to shore despite his survival in treacherous waters. Rescue operations soon followed, and the hunt for Pomeroy was launched.
Deputies from BSCO began searching downstream from the scene, both on land and by boat. Officials tried everything, including using sonar, drones, and underwater cameras, but were unable to find Pomeroy because of the large amount of debris.
Search and rescue crews had no choice but to terminate their day’s operations when daylight dwindled. On the other hand, since Pomeroy vanished on Saturday, July 13, they had left a BSCO boat positioned in the water every day.
At the time, authorities had also asked people to help by keeping a lookout for the deceased celebrity’s body. In addition, they urged everyone to follow all boating regulations, take safety precautions, and put on life jackets.
BSCO was quite explicit that if someone had located Naomi, they were to call 9-1-1 and not try to recover her. Sherrif Van Arsdall also underlined his commitment to making sure Pomeroy gets back safely.
The sadly deceased restaurateur started out in the food industry as an untrained chef who developed her own recipe at the age of four.
She won the 2014 James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Northwest and Pacific after making a substantial contribution to the transformation of Beast, the contemporary restaurant she operated in Portland.
By 2020, Pomeroy had converted Beast into a market and cafe open all day. In honor of her renowned supper club from 2002, she dubbed it Ripe Cooperative. The restaurant was well-liked by patrons despite being closed at the moment; Trip Advisor gave it a 4.5-star rating and numerous positive reviews.
Her most recent culinary venture was working with Mika Paredes to co-found Cornet Custard, an ice cream business. Before she passed away, Pomeroy had also been planning on developing a French restaurant in the old Woodsman Tavern on SE Division.
Upon the confirmation of her demise, Portland Congressman Earl Blumenauer released a tribute. “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 expressed.
Additionally, a message regarding Pomeroy was posted by the official “Top Chef” X account. “The Bravo and ‘Top Chef’ family send our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Chef Naomi Pomeroy. Naomi was a powerhouse chef […]”
Although there are currently no plans for a memorial, Pomeroy’s family has made a public request for privacy as they deal with the unimaginably tragic loss.
In addition to her husband Webster, with whom she co-owned the restaurant Expatriate, Pomeroy also leaves behind her two brothers, Andrew and Colin, her stepmother, Ronna Pomeroy, and her daughter, August.
Joseph Michael Vito, her half-brother, passed away in 2014. We send our deepest sympathies to Pomeroy’s family members and hope that they find comfort at this difficult time. RIP, my sweet Naomi.
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