Body of award-winning chef Naomi Pomeroy recovered from the Willamette River
Officials in Oregon announced that on the morning of July 17 around 10:00 a.m., the deceased body of Naomi Pomeroy was recovered after her remains were located on the Willamette River about a half mile upstream of Hyak Park between Corvallis and Albany. Pomeroy was the ever-popular award-winning chef and restaurateur who in 2009 was listed by Food & Wine magazine as one of America’s Top 10 Best New Chefs and in 2014 won the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef Northwest. She has been credited with developing the culinary scene in Portland.
According to Oregon’s Benton County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), officials had been searching for the 49-year-old Portland woman since Saturday, July 13, when at approximately 8:25 p.m., she reportedly drowned in the Willamette River near river mile 132 in Corvallis, about 100 yards upstream from the Mary’s River.
An investigation by the Sheriff’s Office determined that three adults on tubes and a paddle board (two tubes were secured together and the paddle board was attached to Pomeroy), became entangled on an exposed snag in the water. During their outing on the river, Pomeroy was pulled under the water and unable to free herself due to the paddleboard leash.
The Corvallis Fire Department was first on the scene with a boa, but they were unable to recover Naomi. BCSO responded shortly after and quickly began searching downriver from the incident site, both by land and water. Corvallis Fire Department personnel did successfully recover the two other adults on the shore and safely transported them to a boat launch.
Finally, yesterday, people canoeing on the river spotted a body in the water and called 9-1-1.
BCSO marine deputies arrived shortly after and located a deceased female on a shallow section of bedrock near the middle of the river in about one to two feet of water. According to the victim’s description, the female was identified as Naomi Pomeroy, who had been missing since last Saturday, July 13.
Deputies released Pomeroy’s remains to a local funeral home and notified her family of the recovery.
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The Associated Press shared that since Pomeroy’s death, tributes have poured in from chefs and major Oregon figures, including U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, whose district includes much of Portland.
“Naomi was not just a fabulous chef and entrepreneur, but an amazing human being,” Blumenauer said in a statement. “Her impact went far beyond Portland, helping establish our leadership and reputation for food excellence. She will be greatly missed.”
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(Source: Benton County Sheriff’s Office)
(Cover photo, Naomi Pomeroy back in 2012, Image credit: Naomi Pomeroy / Twitter)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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