Restaurant owner found dead in river

WILMINGTON — One of the owners of a popular downtown restaurant has died. Jim Womer’s body was found in the Cape Fear River Saturday morning.

Investigators believe Womer, one of the co-owners of Wormwood’s in downtown Wilmington, had a heart attack and fell into the water while walking to his boat Friday night.

Coastguard crews started searching the waters near the Bennet Brothers Yacht Club around two o’clock Saturday morning. His body was found about four hours later 150 yards away from his boat.

Womer’s son says his dad won’t be forgotten. Marcus Womer said, “It’s going to be a little different not having him around. I mean, he was a staple here and he is going to be missed by a lot of folks.”

Marcus says he plans to have a plaque made in his father’s memory and hang it in the restaurant.