Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.
Alaskan Bush People star Matt Brown shared a heartbreaking message in one of his latest social media posts before he died aged 43.
Matt was found in the Okanogan River near Oroville after emergency services were alerted by a 911 caller who reported seeing a man sitting in shallow water.
According to the caller, the man then toppled forward into the river, ended up face down, and was carried away by the current.
Matt’s brother Bear later confirmed the news in a tearful TikTok video posted on Saturday (May 30), telling viewers that his sibling had been located.
“They found a body in the river a few hours ago and it was positively identified as being Matt,” Bear told his followers.
The family said their younger brother Noah was the one who first saw the body and helped bring it out of the water.
A firearm was reportedly discovered close to the shoreline where Matt was initially believed to have gone missing. An autopsy is expected to be carried out in due course.
Throughout his life, Matt spoke candidly about his mental health, including in what appears to be the final video he shared on Instagram in July 2024.
The Alaskan Bush People star said: “It’s really important to sit down figure out what’s going on and what to do about it so whenever that happens for me I remember my recovery training because I spent six months in rehab and I knew I really had to pay attention.
“I have very good counselors in all of my rehabs and I pull all of those recovery tools. I’ve got some cards here that I’m using to write out the things I’m going through and then solutions for it so that I can check them later and see if it’s a good thing.”
Matt concluded by saying: “All right, never give up, never surrender, guys.”
In another clip posted soon after, he explained that he used the same cards to help him reframe situations he felt were “toxic,” and to work through them more clearly.
He once more concluded the video by stating: “All right, never give up, never surrender, guys.”
Matt featured in nearly 80 episodes of Alaskan Bush People during the Discovery series’ 14-season run.
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.