Top Chef Masters star Naomi Pomeroy's body found after fatal river accident

Restaurateur Naomi Pomeroy is survived by her husband Kyle Webster and daughter, August.

The body of Naomi Pomeroy, known for her role on Top Chef Masters, has been recovered less than a week after a tragic inner tubing accident on Oregon’s Willamette River. 

According to the Benton County Sheriff's Office, a group of canoeists spotted her body around 10 a.m. on Wednesday and promptly alerted authorities. Marine deputies located her deceased on a shallow bedrock section of the river, approximately half a mile upstream from Hyak Park.

Pomeroy, 49, was tubing with her husband Kyle Webster and another individual on July 13 when she submerged and did not resurface. Despite efforts by search and rescue teams, her body was initially unrecoverable. 

Her husband confirmed that a submerged branch in the water contributed to the accident, speaking to the New York Times about her recent state of mind and personal reflections.

Naomi Pomeroy's career spanned significant contributions to the culinary world, including her establishment of Ripe Catering and the acclaimed restaurant Beast, later transformed into the preorder marketplace Ripe Cooperative. 

She also co-founded the cocktail bar Expatriate and authored the cookbook Taste & Technique in 2016. 

Pomeroy and her husband share one daughter, August.

Her impact on the culinary community was acknowledged by Bravo and the Top Chef franchise, which expressed condolences to her family and praised her lasting influence.