Star of “Top Chef Masters” dies in horror accident on notoriously dangerous river

TV chef Naomi Pomeroy has died in a horrific rafting accident on a notoriously dangerous river in Oregon.

The 50-year-old former Top Chef Masters contestant was with her husband and a friend on the Willamette River near Corvallis on Saturday evening when the accident occurred.

Pomeroy was tied to her two companions, who were also traveling in the dinghy, when all three crashed into a tree in the water and the cook was thrown underwater.

Her husband, Kyle Linden Webster, and the boyfriend resurfaced, but Pomeroy was nowhere to be seen.

The Benton County Sheriff’s Office confirmed her body was recovered from the water near Corvallis around 8:25 p.m. Saturday.

Authorities said officers were unable to immediately locate her body due to a strong undercurrent.

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According to KEZI9 News, Pomeroy was not wearing a life jacket at the time.

This incident occurred just weeks after another horrific rafting accident on the same stretch of the Willamette River.

Kaileigh Seidel, 24, died on June 22 when the boat operator turned too quickly and she collided with another boat in the ring, police said.

Her friend Millie Lovea, who watched helplessly on board, accused the driver of driving too fast and ignoring Seidel’s requests to slow down.

Close friends remembered Pomeroy as a pioneer of Portland’s dining scene.

Gary Okazaki, a fan of Pomeroy’s community restaurant Beast, where her magic tricks could be seen live in the open kitchen, remembered her as “a rock star chef.”

“When the history of Portland’s culinary scene is written, it will have its own chapter,” he told KOIN6.

“It was her personality, the personality cult around Naomi. Just the attraction. When she was there, you could feel it,” Okazaki added.

“People flocked to Beast and at some point it was considered perhaps the best restaurant in Portland.”

Pomeroy was a founder of the Independent Restaurant Coalition, a group that called on Congress to approve a $120 billion fund to help struggling restaurants.

Congressman Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, who worked with Pomeroy to support restaurants during the coronavirus pandemic, also paid tribute.

“What a loss. Naomi was not only a great cook and entrepreneur, but also an amazing human being,” Blumenauer said in a statement.

“Her influence extended far beyond Portland and helped establish our leadership and reputation for excellent food. We will miss her greatly.”

Pomeroy had no formal culinary or business training. She developed her skills by watching other chefs on television and created her first recipe at just four years old.

After opening her first restaurant, Beast, in Portland, she opened Gotham Tavern and Gotham Coffee Shop with Michael Hebb.

Pomeroy was the star of Top Chef Masters in 2011 and won the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Pacific Northwest in 2014.