Beloved Chef Naomi Pomeroy Drowns in Tubing Accident

The 49-year-old helped make Portland, Oregon, a culinary destination
By Kate Seamons,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 17, 2024 10:56 AM CDT
Beloved Chef Naomi Pomeroy Drowns in Tubing Mishap
Naomi Pomeroy sits inside Cornet Custard, on Sunday, June 30, 2024, in Portland, Ore. Pomeroy, an award-winning chef who helped put Portland, Ore., on the map as a culinary destination, has drowned in an inner tubing accident in the Willamette River, authorities said.   (Vickie Connor/The Oregonian via AP)

James Beard award-winning chef Naomi Pomeroy put Portland on the culinary map—and now the city and foodie world beyond is mourning the 49-year-old, who died in a river accident on Saturday. The New York Times reports that Pomeroy, husband Kyle Linden Webster, and a friend were floating down the Willamette River together; they had tied two inner tubes and a paddle board together to do so. Their makeshift craft hit a partially submerged branch and they were thrown into the water. Webster and the friend managed to make it to shore. Pomeroy was trapped by the paddle board leash that was attached to her, Captain Chris Duffitt said, per the AP.

"Most ankle leashes used by SUP users are not designed for quick release," a rep for the Oregon State Marine Board said in a statement Tuesday. He noted quick release leashes, which are made for moving water, are worn around the waist. Pomeroy's body has not yet been recovered; the area has been searched using sonar, underwater cameras, and drones, but has been stymied by heavy debris. The Times charts a colorful career that was not without its obstacles. She and first husband Michael Hebb made a name for themselves in 2002 with a series of underground suppers hosted at their home:

  • "They became so revered that W magazine crowned them the prince and princess of the Pacific Northwest food scene." By 2004 they were overseeing a number of Portland's top restaurants—but two years later, Hebb told her there was no money left. "He left town that night, leaving her to face angry investors and nearly 100 disillusioned employees as a single mother with little money. Ms. Pomeroy emerged from the ashes with Beast, a tiny French-influenced restaurant that opened the next year with little more than two induction burners and a couple of communal tables. It became a model for a sexy, DIY style of dining and attracted a new generation of young chefs, particularly women, to Portland."
(More obituary stories.)

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