Top US TV chef killed in horror accident on notoriously dangerous river in Oregon
16 July 2024, 15:24
A top US TV chef has died in a horrific tubing accident in a notorious river in Oregon.
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Naomi Pomeroy, 50, was adventuring on the Willamette River near Covallis on Saturday when she was thrown into the river and died.
The chef was tied to her two companions, who were also tubing, when they hit a tree.
She was thrown into the water. Two of them surfaced but Naomi never came up again.
Her body was recovered from the water close to Corvallis around 8.25pm Saturday, the Benton County Sheriff's Office confirmed.
She was not wearing a life jacket at the time, according to KEZI9 News.
Tributes have been paid to the ‘rock star chef’.
Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer, who worked with Pomeroy to support restaurants during the coronavirus pandemic, also paid tribute.
He said: “What a loss. Naomi was not just a fabulous chef and entrepreneur, but an amazing human being.
“Her impact went far beyond Portland, helping establish our leadership and reputation for food excellence. She will be greatly missed.”
She starred on Top Chef Masters in 2011, and won the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Pacific Northwest in 2014.
