A former star of the Discovery Channel is feared to have died after a family member disclosed he was spotted drifting away in a river earlier this week.
Matt Brown, age 43, was featured on the reality show “Alaskan Bush People” alongside his family from 2014 until 2018. He was eventually removed from the series and sought treatment for issues related to substance abuse.
On Thursday, Brown’s brother Bear shared a tearful announcement, stating that several witnesses had seen Matt in a river located in Okanogan County, Northern Washington.
Bear expressed his concern that Matt may have ended his life after struggling with addiction to drugs and alcohol. The Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed they are looking into a report of an unidentified man being carried away by the river on Wednesday, May 27.
Bear commented, “I received news late last night that Matt might have taken his own life. Although I can’t verify this information, witnesses claim he was seen either in or near a river.”
“Honestly, I never believed Matt would choose to end his own life,” Bear added.
Former Discovery Channel reality star Matt Brown is feared dead after he was seen floating in a river by witnesses this week
Brown, who appeared on Alaskan Bush People from 2014-2018, has vanished with his family fearing he took his own life – pictured on the show
‘So far they haven’t been able to find any body. I can’t confirm it 100 percent, but it looks like it is.’
Bear said his last conversation with Brown took place at a Walmart before Bear left for Florida.
‘He called me after that, and he said that he had fallen off the wagon. And 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.”’
Brown is seen on the show with a firearm
‘Everyone thinks that the family has shunned him. That’s not actually the case.
‘Please be respectful to the family, to my mom especially,” he said. “Please don’t attack my mom. Mom cares very much for Matt and always has.’
Bear said his brother had recently had a ‘really bad breakup’.
Per a Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office press release a caller called 911 on Wednesday, May 27, to report that ‘he 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.’
Law Enforcement, Fire and EMS responded to the location but were unable to locate the male in the river.
Brown’s brother Bear took to social media saying: ‘I’m being told that late last night that Matt took his own life. I can’t confirm that that’s true but witnesses say that he was seen in a river, at a river, or close to a river’
Brown was axed from the show in 2018 amid substance abuse issues, and had been struggling with alcohol and drug addiction recently
His brother Bear tearfully revealed on Thursday that Brown had been seen by multiple witnesses in a river in Okanogan County (pictured stock image) in northern Washington state
Bear said : ‘I’m being told that late last night that Matt took his own life. I can’t confirm that that’s true but witnesses say that he was seen in a river, at a river, or close to a river’
The release added, ‘Additional Okanogan County Deputies responded to the location with one boat, two jet ski type watercraft and an aerial drone. Also assisting in the search was the WA Department of Fish and Wildlife with a boat.
‘A firearm was recovered from the water in the area where the male was last seen.
‘The search for the male continued until dark at about 8:45 PM and resumed on in the morning of 5/28/2026 with watercraft, divers and aerial drone. The search is on-going.’
The identity of the male has not been confirmed and as of Friday, May 29, the body has not been found.
The Daily Mail has contacted the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office for further comment.
A family member told TMZ they saw Brown around 8am Wednesday near Driscoll Island Wildlife Area off Highway 97 in Oroville, Washington, less than a mile from where the witness saw the man in the river.
If you or someone you know needs help, please call or text the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US on 988. There is also an online chat available at 988lifeline.org.
