The search is ongoing for Alaskan Bush People alum Matt Brown after a man was reportedly spotted floating face down in the Okanogan River in Okanogan County, Washington, where the former reality star lives off the grid.
“The family is not sure what to believe right now,” a source close to the family exclusively told Us Weekly on May 29, 2026. “They are not sure where Matt is, but they are hoping that he is ok and that the information is wrong. They are all in contact and speaking to police and waiting to hear. They have had their issues [with Matt] and [Matt’s brother] Gabe has been the person most in contact with him.”
Keep scrolling for everything to know about the search for Matt:
Is ‘Alaskan Bush People’ Alum Matt Brown Missing?
TMZ reported on May 29, 2026, that the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office had received a call two days before about a man sitting in the shallow waters of the Okanogan River. The anonymous caller briefly looked away, and when they turned back, the man was allegedly lying face down in the river and being swept away by the current.
Emergency responders searched the area but could not find a body, the outlet reported. The sheriff’s office told the publication that no body had been found as of May 29.
Us Weekly reached out to the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office for comment.
What Has ‘Alaskan Bush People’ Alum Matt Brown’s Family Said?
Matt’s brother, Bear Brown, addressed reports of Matt’s possible death in a TikTok video on May 28, 2026. He noted that he was told about the man spotted in the river, but was unable to confirm that the man was Matt.
“I’m being told that late last night that Matt took his own life,” Bear said. “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. … 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 added that Matt has been “struggling” with addiction “for a long time.”
Bear claimed that in his last conversation with Matt, his brother said 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,’” he recalled.
“Please be respectful to the family, to my mom especially,” he said at the end of the video, referring to Brown family matriarch Ami Brown. “Please don’t attack my mom. Mom cares very much for Matt and always has.”
When Did Matt Brown Leave ‘Alaskan Bush People’?
The Discovery Channel’s Alaskan Bush People, which aired from 2014 to 2022, followed the Brown family as they lived in the remote wilderness in Alaska and Washington. Matt appeared on the show until 2019, when he quietly stepped away without an official explanation.
Prior to Matt’s exit from the reality show, he entered rehab in 2016 and later suffered a relapse. He returned to treatment in 2018, at which time two women came forward with sexual assault allegations. The Brown family did not publicly address the claims.
More recently, Matt has documented his life off the grid via YouTube. He caused concern among fans when he posted a video of himself seemingly walking naked in a public park while holding a gun.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
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