Authorities recover body of ‘Top Chef Masters’ star Naomi Pomeroy after she drowned in Oregon river

The body of “Top Chef Masters” star Naomi Pomeroy was found Wednesday, four days after she drowned while tubing with her husband and a friend on an Oregon river.

The celebrity chef, 49, was on the Willamette River near Portland on Saturday night when she became stuck underwater during the recreational activity.

His body was recovered by authorities Wednesday morning after being spotted by canoeists, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office said.

The tragic drowning occurred when Pomeroy, her partner, Kyle Linden Webster, and his friend were on tubes and a paddleboard connected together but became stuck in an “exposed snag” that pulled the chef underwater.

She was then held below the surface by the paddleboard leash, the sheriff’s department said.

Firefighters first arrived at the scene – 100 metres up the Mary River – with a boat, but were unable to locate Pomeroy’s body.

Her husband and friend were rescued from the shore and taken to a boat ramp.

Pomeroy rose to prominence in Portland’s culinary 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, based on the success of her restaurant, which 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 the task difficult.

His body was taken to a funeral home and his family was notified.