What was Naomi Pomeroy's last Instagram post before death? Portland chef unveiled her latest dining endeavor in a Portland garden

`Award-winning chef Naomi Pomeroy passed away at 49, in a drowning incident on Saturday, July 13, 2024. Naomi's family first confirmed the news to Monthly Portland.

Just a few days back, on July 1, shared her seemingly future venture plans with restaurateur Luke Dirks on Instagram. The final post was to let her audience know about the garden party reservations. In the caption she wrote,

"RESERVATIONS ARE LIVE... July Garden Party Dates are now open..."

She first revealed about hosting garden parties in southeast Portland, through an Instagram post in the end of June. The caption read:

"It's FINALLY time to tell y'all about a little thing we're... upto. GARDEN PARTY. A few dinners a week in a hidden, gorgeous, gem of a garden in SE Portland. Seats are pretty limited. 36 ish a night- but maybe we'll add some dates if they fill up fast..."

So many people flooded the comment section with positive responses and enthusiasm after Naomi Pomeroy's posts on her new business. The same comment section had now been filled will condolences from people, after the tragic incident struck.

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Chef Naomi Pomeroy reportedly died in an inner tubing accident over the weekend

Top Chef Masters former contestant Naomi Pomeroy died, as confirmed by her family, in a drowning accident. According to Monthly Portland, Naomi was inner tubing with her husband Kyle Linden Webster, and another unidentified third person. The late chef's family shared that their flotilla flipped in the water due to the strong currents of the Willamette River.

While two of the three people survived, Naomi couldn't make it. Kyle made it to the shore with great difficulty, as reported by the news outlet. Shortly after that, search and rescue teams were deployed to recover Naomi from the violent waters. It had further been revealed that the chef wasn't wearing a life jacket when the flotilla went upside-down in the water.

The authorities have been trying hard to recover Naomi's body, and the process is still ongoing. Sheriff Jef Van Arsdall told Eater in an e-mail,

"Both yesterday and today, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office had staff ... both Marine Patrol Deputies and Search and Rescue personnel, on the water, continuing the effort to recover the victim. Debris in river, currents, and ragged rocks, make it unsafe for divers to conduct any exploratory search under water."

Sheriff Jef further mentioned that they will try their best to recover Naomi's body from the water, so that the family and the entire community can get closure.

The incident happened just a few weeks after she announced her new venture of "Garden Party." The influential chef's family had asked for privacy. They are yet to confirm a date of memorial for Naomi Pomeroy. No additional information had been made available to the public as of now.

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More about popular Portland chef Naomi Pomeroy

According to Portland Monthly, Naomi Pomeroy showed an early interest in cooking, making her first recipe at age 4. She graduated from Lewis & Clark College with a degree in history.

Over the years, she opened Beast, a modern Portland restaurant that captured the city's essence. In 2014, she won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific. In 2020, Naomi transformed Beast into Ripe Cooperative, a market and all-day bistro, after Beast closed due to the pandemic. Recently, she co-founded Cornet Custard, an ice cream shop, with Mika Paredes.

Naomi Pomeroy was a popular name when it came to independent food scenario in Portland. Apart from her restaurants and ventures, she was also known for being a participant of Top Chef Masters. Newsweek reported a statement issued by Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer, in which 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."

In a 2010 interview with Marie Claire, Naomi Pomeroy discussed her divorce in 2006 and the subsequent closure of several of her restaurants before her comeback. Early in her career, she was recognized by Food & Wine as one of America’s Top 10 Best New Chefs in 2009. In 2010, Oprah magazine named her one of the Top 10 Women on the Rise.

Last year, she also became a guest judge on Bobby's Triple Threat's season 2.