Matt Brown, known for his role on the Discovery Channel series Alaskan Bush People, has died at the age of 43. His body was recovered from a river in Washington state, with his brother Bear Brown confirming the heartbreaking news on social media.
Confirmation of Death
On Sunday, Bear Brown took to TikTok to announce that authorities had positively identified a body found in the river as Matt. "They found a body in the river a few hours ago, and it was positively identified as being Matt," Bear said in a video. He also revealed that their brother Noah was the one who identified Matt.
Bear expressed his shock, stating, "I would have never suspected he would have hurt himself, honestly. He struggled for a long time, as I've mentioned, and I worried he was going to end up, like, OD'd or something like that. I didn't think he would hurt himself." He added, "It does look as though the injury is self-inflicted. Obviously, the coroner and stuff still has to look at him and stuff, but I thought that you guys should know that it is him."
Circumstances of Discovery
According to Page Six, the Okanogan County Sheriff's Office responded to a 911 call on Thursday from a witness who reported seeing a man sitting in a shallow section of the river. The caller later found the man face down in the water before he was swept away by the current.
Family and Fans Urged for Privacy
In his TikTok video, Bear urged fans to respect the family's privacy during this difficult time. "Please be respectful to the family, to my mum [Ami Brown] especially," he said. "Please don't attack my mum. Mum cares very much for Matt and always has."
Matt Brown's Career and Struggles
Matt starred on Alaskan Bush People from 2014 to 2019, before stepping away due to his struggles with addiction. In a 2016 interview with People, he opened up about his drinking, saying, "I could see myself spiralling." He explained that his drinking escalated over time, leading him to seek help. After completing 35 days of treatment, he said, "I learned a lot about myself in those 35 days. I've turned my weakness into a strength."
Previous Family Tragedy
This is not the first tragedy for the Brown family. Billy Brown, the patriarch of Alaskan Bush People, died in 2021 at the age of 68 after suffering a seizure. The family described him as "our best friend — a wonderful and loving dad, granddad and husband." Bear wrote on Instagram, "He lived his life on his terms, off the grid and off the land and taught us to live like that as well. We plan to honour his legacy going forward, and to continue with his dream."
This article originally appeared in Fox News and was reproduced with permission.
