Portland Chef Naomi Pomeroy Dies in Tubing Accident at 49

Renowned chef and former Top Chef Masters contestant Naomi Pomeroy, 49, tragically drowned in a tubing accident on the Willamette River near Corvallis, Oregon. Pomeroy, who recently launched a dining series called Garden Party, was not wearing a life jacket when she struck a submerged tree and was thrown underwater. Her body was recovered by authorities later that evening. Pomeroy was celebrated for her contributions to the Portland food scene and had won the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Pacific Northwest in 2014.