Search suspended – Authorities in Washington suspended their search for an unidentified male seen in the Okanogan River near Oroville after an all-day effort turned up no trace and worsening river conditions made continued recovery unsafe.
By late Friday, the Okanogan River near Oroville, Washington, had turned into a moving obstacle course—just one more reason authorities couldn’t find what they were looking for.
The Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office says the search for an unidentified male has been suspended after deputies. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife personnel. divers. sonar teams. boats. personal watercraft. and even a cadaver dog combed an expanding section of the river. Officials reported no trace of the man was found.
Search crews were forced to contend with conditions that shifted through the day. The sheriff’s office says rainfall increased water levels and current speeds. creating dangerous conditions for those trying to locate the individual. With the active river flow. investigators now believe the person may no longer be near the area where he was last seen.
With that change on the water, authorities suspended the search pending additional information that could help narrow the search area.
The suspension adds weight to a case that already drew public attention after reports involving Matt Brown. a former “Alaskan Bush People” star. The update comes after TMZ reported Brown’s family feared he could be the unidentified male after losing contact with him and learning of a report involving a possible body in the river. At the time, law enforcement stressed the person’s identity had not been confirmed.
Earlier in the week, Brown’s brother Gabe was reported to have been seen at the river talking to police, after which officials reiterated Saturday that the identity of the missing male remains unknown. They also said it will not be released until it is confirmed and next of kin are notified.
For now, the search has been called off, and the questions surrounding both the unidentified male and Matt Brown’s whereabouts remain unanswered.
Matt Brown Alaskan Bush People Okanogan River Oroville Washington missing person cadaver dog search suspended Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office Gabe Brown