The death of Naomi Pomeroy sheds light on the dangers of the river

PORTLAND, Oregon – The Benton County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) continued its search Tuesday for the body of Naomi Pomeroy, the award-winning Portland chef who died in a rafting accident over the weekend.

According to BCSO, Pomeroy drowned in the Willamette River, about 100 yards upstream from Mary’s River, without wearing a life jacket. An investigation revealed that Pomeroy, her husband and another person were floating on inner tubes and a paddle board that were tied together.

BCSO said they became snagged on an exposed tree stump in the water and Pomeroy was held underwater by the paddleboard’s leash.

“We grew up here pretty much our whole lives, so we’ve been here a lot,” said Shaina Cornwell, a Corvallis native. “But it’s definitely, like you said, a memory and an awareness of being on the river so many times – it doesn’t feel like something that could happen.”

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Cornwell said she also went swimming on the Willamette River over the weekend and saw a lot of debris.

“Basically there was a constant stream of people floating on the water, and quite a few of them had their water wings tied together,” Cornwell said. “My friends and I just tied our water wings on last night. There were logs in the water that we couldn’t really see. And we were kind of laughing and making fun of it, but that makes it real. Like, that’s really dangerous.”

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Pomeroy is one of at least four people who drowned in area rivers in July.

If you plan on cruising the river this summer, BCSO advises not to tie yourself to a paddleboard unless you have a quick-release leash. And if you have two or more tubes together, Oregon law requires everyone – regardless of age – to wear a life jacket. Children ages 12 and younger must wear a life jacket at all times.

The BCSO is asking anyone on the river to be on the lookout for Pomeroy’s body and anyone who finds it to call 911 and not attempt to recover it themselves.

“My goal is to find Naomi and bring her home to her family and loved ones,” said Sheriff Van Arsdall. “I want to thank everyone involved in the search and recovery mission and supporting us during this difficult time.”