Warning: The following post contains discussions of suicide.
Matt Brown‘s official cause of death has been confirmed just days after his body was found in a river south of Oroville, Washington, on Saturday (May 30).
According to Deadline, citing the Okanogan County Coroner’s Office, the Alaskan Bush People star died by suicide. The report confirmed the death was caused by a “single penetrating gunshot wound to the head.” Contributing circumstances were noted as “subsequent immersion in water” and “under the influence of methamphetamine.”
The 42-year-old reality TV personality was found dead on Saturday, as confirmed by his brother, Bear Brown. In a heartbreaking Instagram post, Bear said, “They found a body in the river a few hours ago, and it was positively identified as being Matt.”
While Matt had a history of addiction and mental health issues, Bear said, “I would have never suspected he would have hurt himself, honestly. He struggled for a long time, as I’ve mentioned, and I worried he was going to end up, like, OD’d or something like that. I didn’t think he would hurt himself.”
Matt’s other brother, Noah Brown, was at the scene and helped search and rescue volunteers pull the body out of the water, and provided a positive identification.
The Brown family shared an official statement on Matt’s passing on Sunday (May 31), writing, “It is with broken hearts that we share the loss of our beloved son, brother, uncle, and friend, Matthew Brown. To millions of viewers, Matt was known as one of the original stars of Alaskan Bush People. To us, he was so much more.”
“Matt was intelligent, curious, creative, and endlessly fascinated by the world around him,” the statement continued. “He was a gifted outdoorsman, fisherman, boatman, artist, and lifelong learner. He loved adventure, nature, and discovering new things. Matt had an extraordinary mind.”
The family also acknowledged Matt’s “mistakes, struggles, and painful chapters,” adding, “Some of those chapters caused hurt, and we do not minimize that. At the same time, we do not believe any person’s life should be defined solely by their lowest moments.”
“When we think of Matt, we will remember the young man who loved the wilderness, could navigate rough waters, draw for hours, lose himself in learning, make us laugh unexpectedly, and dream bigger than most people ever dared,” the statement concluded. “He was imperfect. He was human. He was deeply loved. And he will be missed beyond words.”
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by texting or dialing 988. If you or a loved one is in immediate danger, call 911.
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