‘Top Chef Masters’ star Naomi Pomeroy dies in inner tube accident at 49

Chef Naomi Pomeroy, who was known for competing on the third season of Top Chef Masters in 2011 and for her award-winning restaurants, has died in a tragic water-recreation accident. She was 49.

The Benton County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon, where she lives, said Tuesday that Pomeroy drowned in the Willamette River at approximately 8:25 p.m. Saturday.

“An investigation by BCSO determined three adults recreating on tubes and a paddle board (two tubes were secured together and the paddle board was attached to Naomi), became entangled on an exposed snag in the water,” the agency said in a new release. “One of the adults, Naomi, was pulled under the water and unable to free herself due to the paddleboard leash.”

Officials were able to locate two other adults, including her husband, Kyle Linden Webster, and their friends, but not Pomeroy. They continue to search for her, the “first drowning victim of the year.”

Deputies used “all available tools, including sonar, underwater cameras, and drones, but were unable to locate any signs of Naomi in the area due to heavy debris in the water.”

They reminded the public not to tie themselves to a paddle board or tie inner tubes together.

Pomeroy is known to fans of Top Chef because she was a contestant on the third season of Top Chef Masters, the edition of the show that pits established chefs against one another to find a single champion. She was representing Beast, her Portland restaurant where, in March 2010, she earned a James Beard award.

Pomeroy was eliminated on the episode before the finale, but she returned to the original show several times as a guest judge.

The show paid tribute on social media: “The Bravo and Top Chef family send our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Chef Naomi Pomeroy. Naomi was a powerhouse chef who made an indelible mark on the culinary industry.”

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TV viewers also saw Pomeroy on shows such as Iron Chef, where she competed with truffles in 2010, and The Taste, where she was a guest mentor in 2014. In 2016, she came out with a cookbook, Taste & Technique: Recipes to Elevate Your Home Cooking, which she coauthored with writer Jamie Feldmar.

All the while, she continued cooking in restaurants. Her most famous establishment closed its doors during the pandemic, but she had other ventures, including Garden Party, a summer dinner series that featured the products of her garden. According to The New York Times, the communal dinners were held at the location where she had planned to open a new eatery with her business partner in the fall.

In addition to Webster, she is survived by a daughter, August.