The body of “Top Chef Masters” star Naomi Pomeroy was recovered Wednesday, four days after she drowned while tubing with her husband and a friend on an Oregon river.
The renowned chef, 49, was on the Willamette River near Portland Saturday evening when she became trapped underwater during the recreational activity.
Her body was retrieved by authorities Wednesday morning after being spotted by canoers, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office said.
The tragic drowning happened when Pomeroy, her spouse, Kyle Linden Webster, and the pal were on tubes and a paddle board that were connected together, but got caught on an “exposed snag” that pulled the chef underwater.
She was then held beneath the surface by the paddle board leash, the sheriff’s department said.
Firefighters first arrived on scene – 100 yards upstream from Mary’s River – with a boat, but could not locate Pomeroy’s body.
Her husband and friend were rescued at the shore and taken to a boat launch.
Pomeroy became known in the Portland food scene when she opened the beloved farm-to-table restaurant Beast in 2007, according to The Oregonian.
Best known for her appearance on Bravo’s cooking show, “Top Chef Masters,” Pomeroy won the prestigious James Beard Award in 2014, due to her successful restaurant that later closed.
Before the body was found this week, the sheriff’s office used sonar, underwater cameras and drones in hopes of finding Pomeroy, but heavy debris in the area made it difficult.
Her body was transported to a funeral home and her family was notified.