‘Alaskan Bush People’ Star Matt Brown’s Death Confirmed After Body Found in River

The body of former “Alaskan Bush People” star Matt Brown has been recovered from the Okanogan River in Washington state, ending a days long search that began after a witness reported seeing a man drift away in the current.

The Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office said Sunday that a group of private citizens found Brown’s body Saturday while searching along the river. Authorities later confirmed the deceased man was Brown, 43.

“Matthew Brown has been transferred into the custody and care of the Okanogan County Coroner,” Sheriff Jodie Barcus said in a statement. “The cause and manner of death will be determined by the Coroner’s Office.”

The sheriff’s office said no additional details would be released because the investigation is currently ongoing. Brown, who starred in the long-running reality television series “Alaskan Bush People,” was reported missing earlier in the week near Oroville in north-central Washington.

According to authorities, the search began on May 27 after a 911 caller reported speaking with a man sitting in shallow water south of Oroville. The caller told dispatchers he looked away briefly, heard a sound, and then saw the man was drifting with the current.

Investigators later found a gun near the area where the man was last seen. The breakthrough came on May 30 when volunteers searching the river located a body.

Brown’s other brother, Noah Brown, said he was part of the group that found the body

“For the past couple of days, I’ve been working with search and rescue groups trying to locate the body,” Noah said in a video posted online. “The group that I was working with located the missing body, and I identified it as Matthew.”

Noah said he helped recover the body from the river before authorities arrived. “I was there when we pulled him out of the river,” he said.

Brown’s brother, Bear Brown, first confirmed the death on May 30.

“They found a body in the river a few hours ago and it was positively identified as being Matt,” Bear said in a social media video. While authorities have not released a cause of death, Bear said he believes the death may have been self-inflicted. He added that he was surprised by that possibility despite his brother’s long struggles.

“I was so worried that he would end up ODed or something like that,” Bear said. “I didn’t think he would hurt himself.” He also urged the public to show compassion toward the family.

“Please be respectful to my family and to my mom,” Bear said. “People on the other side of your screen are real people too.”