CNN —Naomi Pomeroy, renowned chef and “Top Chef Masters” star, died in a tubing accident in Oregon over the weekend, local authorities said. Pomeroy drowned in the Willamette River in Corvallis, Oregon, on Saturday, July 13th, according to a news release posted to Facebook by the Benton County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO). One of the floaters, Naomi, was pulled under the water and held by the paddle board leash,” the sheriff’s release stated. The sheriff’s office has deployed a boat on the river every day since the drowning and plans to continue the search. Pomeroy quickly became renowned after opening her Portland restaurant, Beast, and was recognized in 2014 as the James Beard Best Chef in the Pacific Northwest.

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Persons: Naomi Pomeroy, Masters, Pomeroy, BCSO, Naomi, “ BCSO, Naomi Pomeroy's, Don Ryan, ”, Van Arsdall, “, James Beard, Earl Blumenauer, ” Blumenauer Organizations: CNN, Facebook, Sheriff’s, Oregon Locations: Oregon, Willamette, Corvallis , Oregon, Benton, Portland , Ore, Portland, Pacific