Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.
Alaskan Bush People’s Noah Brown has shared details about the last time he spoke with his brother Matt Brown before Matt’s death at the age of 43.
Matt, who appeared as one of the original cast members on Alaskan Bush People, has died after his body was recovered from a river in Washington state.
The news was shared by his brothers on Saturday evening (May 30). They also revealed that Noah was the first to find him.
“Right now, all I can say is that he was lost in the river. He was lost in the river, and we found him,” he said, speaking with US Weekly.
Bear Brown later spoke on TikTok about the difficulties Matt had faced in recent years, saying his brother had struggled with alcohol and drug addiction, along with other private challenges he had kept out of public view.
Noah said he had briefly seen Matt the day before his death, describing a quick, passing moment rather than a proper catch-up.
“I actually saw him the day before, just in one of those, like, driving by, wave-type situations,” he said.
He continued: “I wish I had more time when I drove past. It was stopped, but … it is what it is.”
Noah also reflected on what he described as their final in-person conversation, which he said happened around “two or three weeks before” Matt died.
“I ran into him in the grocery store, and the last thing I said to him was, ‘OK, love you more, man,’ which was our thing.
“You never know when the last time you’re going to see someone is, so always say how you feel right before you say goodbye, because it could be the last thing. Then that was it.”
Discussing how they got along, Noah said they weren’t prone to arguing, but that they often kept space between them.
“He and I were good, and I’m very, very thankful for that,” he added, “I do wish, though, that there could have been more, but in the end, that’s kind of always how it is.”
Alaskan Bush People, a Discovery Channel docudrama-style series, focused on Billy and Ami Brown and their family as they lived off the grid in Alaska’s remote wilderness, later relocating to Washington state. The couple share seven children: Matt, Noah, Joshua, Bear, Gabe, Bird, and Rain.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in a mental health crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.
If you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.