'Alaskan Bush People' Star Matt Brown Body Found in Washington River by Private Search Party

Published May 31, 2026 8:23 AM PDT

A private search party discovered the body of "Alaskan Bush People" star Matt Brown in a Washington river following a days-long search after he was reported to have ended his life.

The group of private citizens conducted their search in the Okanogan River and came across his body on Saturday, the Okanogan County Sheriff's Office announced. His body is now in the care of the Okanogan County Coroner, where cause and manner of death will be determined.

We told you on Saturday Matt's clearly shaken brother, Bear Brown, confirmed he was deceased ... adding he never imagined his brother would hurt himself.

TMZ obtained dispatch audio from the initial search for an unnamed man -- likely Matt ... and, responding personnel noted a suicidal man was reported to have shot himself before falling into the river and being swept away by a current. They say his backpack was uncovered with an empty holster, and his revolver was thought to be in the water.

A search boat and dive team were originally ordered, and sonar teams, a cadaver dog and more eventually joined in ... but the search was suspended due to difficult weather and river conditions.

We told you earlier this week Matt was nearly completely estranged from his family due to his erratic and concering behaviors. In one of his recent livestreams, he appeared to be nude and allegedly intoxicated while wandering through a public park in Washington state. The stream became even more alarming when he appeared to be carrying a firearm.

As fans of "Alaskan Bush People" know, Matt stepped away from the show in 2019 after entering a treatment facility to address his issues. He then relocated to rural northeastern Washington, where he lived a more private life aside from his videos documenting his day-to-day whereabouts.

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