Noah Brown confirms he identified brother Matt's body after it was pulled from a Washington river

• Matt Brown's body was located at 3:27pm on Saturday by a search group.
• Brother Bear Brown said in a TikTok that the injury appeared self-inflicted.
• Matt had posted an alarming nude livestream on YouTube earlier this month.

Noah Brown, the youngest of the seven Brown siblings and a star of Alaskan Bush People, has confirmed he identified his eldest brother Matt's body after it was recovered from a river in Washington state.

In an Instagram video shared on Saturday, Noah revealed he had been working alongside search teams to locate Matt. The group he was with found him at 3:27 p.m.

"I identified it as Matthew," Noah said. "My oldest brother, Matthew Brown, has passed away."

Noah describes pulling Matt from the riverbank

Noah told followers he had been present when his brother's body was brought up from the water. "I was there when we pulled him out of the river," he said.

"We hauled him up off the bank. And then, after the sheriffs got there and everything, the coroner did his thing, and I went down to identify that it was him."

"It's definitely Matthew," he continued. "His ID and Social Security card was on him, and I was able to visually identify that it was Matthew."

Noah noted the family would receive further information once the coroner's report was released, and he extended his gratitude to all those who had taken part in the search, including members of the local community. He also addressed fans of Alaskan Bush People directly.

"I'm sorry it came down to this," he said. "I don't know what to say," he added, visibly emotional. He ended his video with a quiet appeal: "Anyway, it's late. Say your prayers and tell people that you love that you love them while you can."

Bear Brown says death appeared self-inflicted

Also on Saturday, another brother, Bear Brown, said in a TikTok video that Matt died by suicide. Matt was 43 years old. "I didn't think he would hurt himself, it does look like the injury is self-inflicted," Bear said. "Obviously, the coroner has to look at him and stuff, but I thought you guys should know it is him."

Bear repeated throughout his video that he "would've never thought that Matt would take his own life." He also described the last time he saw his brother — a chance encounter at a Walmart "a little bit ago," during which Matt told him he had "fallen off the wagon." Bear said he had urged him to seek help at a rehabilitation centre.

A troubled period before his death

Earlier this month, Matt had posted an alarming livestream on YouTube in which he appeared nude, was rambling incoherently, and was carrying what appeared to be a firearm.

In a TikTok the previous week, Bear had said that Matt "has been struggling for a long time with alcohol and with drugs", whilst insisting the family had not pushed him away. According to Bear, it was Matt who "didn't want anything to do with the family."

Matt Brown's life and career

Matt Brown appeared on the Discovery Channel's long-running Alaskan Bush People from 2014 to 2019, a reality series that followed the Brown family as they lived off the grid in the Alaskan wilderness.

The show starred his parents, Billy and Ami, alongside his siblings. Billy Brown died in 2021 at the age of 68. Matt was the eldest of the seven Brown siblings and was 43 years old at the time of his death.