Award-Winning Portland Chef Naomi Pomeroy Has Died at Age 49

James Beard award-winning chef and cookbook author Naomi Pomeroy has died at age 49, according to multiple reports. Pomeroy’s family confirmed the death to Portland Monthly, which reported that Pomeroy drowned after being involved in an inner tubing accident over the weekend. Her husband, Kyle Linden Webster, and an unnamed third person were also on the float, but both survived, according to The Oregonian. KEZI reports that the accident occurred after the inner tubes, which were tied together, snagged while floating down the Willamette River on the evening of July 13. Efforts by the Benton County Oregon Sheriff’s office to recover the body are ongoing.

Eater has reached out to the Benton County Oregon Sheriff’s office for comment.

Pomeroy was beloved in the Portland area for her innovative cooking at restaurants like Beast, which later transformed into Ripe Cooperative. Recently, she opened a permanent location for her custard shop, Cornet Custard, and was working on a restaurant in the former Woodsman Tavern space. She was also well known for her run on Top Chef Masters, and early in her career, was widely recognized as a new chef to watch by publications like Food & Wine and Oprah. In 2014, she was the recipient of the James Beard Award for Best Chef Pacific Northwest after being nominated three times before. This summer, Pomeroy was slated to host a dinner series called Garden Party with restaurateur Luke Dirks.

According to Portland Monthly, Pomeroy’s family has asked for privacy and has not announced plans for a memorial. This story is developing.