Alaskan Bush People star Matt Brown dead, Bear confirms

Bear Brown confirmed that Matt Brown, an “Alaskan Bush People” star who went missing, was found dead after his body was recovered and identified. The family had feared for days, citing a sighting near a river in Washington and earlier concerns about his strugg

For days, the Brown family lived in the awful space between fear and hope after Matt Brown went missing near a river in Washington. In the early hours of May 31, Bear Brown closed that gap—confirming that Matt had been found dead.

Bear Brown posted an emotional update to his verified social media channels. telling supporters that authorities recovered a body in the river and that it had been positively identified as Matt. “They found a body in the river a few hours ago. and it was positively identified as being Matt. ” Bear said in the video. “Their brother Noah helped them pull the body out of the water, and Noah identified him.”.

Matt rose to fame during his time on Discovery Channel’s “Alaskan Bush People,” which ran for 14 seasons from 2014 until 2022. The series followed the Brown family’s life in remote Alaska.

Before the confirmation. Bear had described how the family believed Matt had been found near a river in Okanogan County. Washington. In a video shared May 28. Bear said he had been told “Matt took his own life” after being spotted near a river in Okanogan County in Washington. He told viewers. “Witnesses say that he was seen in a river. at a river or close to a river. ” and said police had been unable to find a body at the time. Bear added, “I can’t confirm it 100%, but it looks like” it is Matt.

In that same May 28 video, Bear spoke about Matt’s condition and what he believed led to the moment. “I would have never suspected he would have hurt himself, honestly. He struggled for a long time, as I’ve mentioned. And I was so worried he was going to end up. you know. like. OD’d or something like that. ” Bear said. He then added, “It does look as though the injury is self-inflicted.”.

Bear also used that earlier update to ask the public for restraint. He pointedly told followers to “please. please be respectful to my family and to my mom. and please watch the comments that you leave. guys.” He said one of Matt’s last videos involved Matt responding to negative reactions to his posts. adding. “Keep in mind that people on the other side of your screen. people that you’re watching a video of. they’re real people. too. … Leave as many negative comments about me as you want, but please leave my family out of it.”.

As the search unfolded. the account of what authorities were investigating came into focus through a May 28 press release from the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Department. A caller reported to Okanogan 911 that they had just spoken to a male sitting in the shallow water of the Okanogan River south of Oroville. WA. The caller “turned away from the man sitting in the river. heard a sound. turned back toward the man in the water and saw the man was face down in the water drifting away in the current.” Authorities also revealed that “a firearm was recovered from the water in the area where the male was last seen.”.

Bear later described one of his last conversations with Matt. saying Matt told him “he had fallen off the wagon.” Bear responded. “I was like. ‘Well. get back on it. man. Everybody falls off. Just get back on it. Go to rehab if you’ve got to. You’ve got this,’” he said. Bear also pushed back against rumors the family had “shunned” Matt, calling that speculation false.

What moved events from rumor to certainty was the sequence that started with an emergency call. continued through days of search. and ended with a river recovery. On May 28. authorities had not located a body. and Bear could only say he “can’t confirm it 100%.” By May 31. Bear was telling supporters the body had been recovered and identified as Matt—confirmed with the identification made by Noah as they pulled the body from the water.

The Brown family’s fear began with a frightening sighting and a missing-man search. and it ended with Bear Brown’s confirmation that Matt was gone. In the wake of that announcement. the request for respectful attention to the family—especially after public speculation—has remained the sharpest note of urgency in the story.

Suicide Lifeline: If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 any time, day or night, or chat online. Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7, confidential support via text message to people in crisis when they text “HOME” to 741741.

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