Search Suspended for Man Believed to Be Alaskan Bush People Star Matt Brown

Authorities in Okanogan County, Washington, have suspended a search for a man believed by family members to be former Alaskan Bush People star Matt Brown.

The investigation began after a witness reported seeing a man sitting in the Okanogan River near Oroville before he was seen face down and drifting in the current. A firearm was later recovered from the water nearby.

Matt’s brother, Bear Brown, said witnesses told him they saw Matt enter the river and believed he had died. Bear said he is “99 percent” sure the missing man is his brother, but authorities have not confirmed the person’s identity.

Sheriff’s deputies, wildlife officers, divers, boats, sonar equipment, and a human-remains detection dog searched the area but found no trace of the missing man. Officials said dangerous river conditions, recent rainfall, and stronger currents have complicated the search and may have carried the man far from where he was last seen.

Matt Brown left Alaskan Bush People in 2019 and had publicly struggled with addiction. The Discovery Channel series aired from 2014 to 2022.