Noah Brown detailed the events leading as much as his brother Matt Brown‘s death.
“I actually saw him the day before [Matt went missing], just in considered one of those, like, driving by, wave-type situations,” Noah exclusively told Us Weekly on Sunday, May 31. “I wish I had more time once I drove past. It was stopped, but … it’s what it’s.”
Matt, who starred in the fact TV series Alaskan Bush People alongside Noah and the broader Brown family, was found dead on the age of 43 on Saturday, May 30. Local authorities confirmed his body had been recovered from the Okanogan River in Washington state.
Noah also detailed his final conversation with Matt to Us, revealing that it took place “probably two or three weeks” prior to Matt’s death.
“I bumped into him within the food market, [and] the final thing I said to him was, ‘OK, love you more, man,’ which was our thing,” Noah said. “You never know when the last time you’re going to see someone is, so [our family] all the time [says] how you’re feeling right before you say goodbye, since it may very well be the final thing. Then that was it.”
Noah also touched on his relationship with Matt during his interview with Us, sharing that the pair “were good” despite keeping “a distance” amid their large family dynamic.
“Within the later years, I spotted it was best to only type of let him do his own thing,” Noah said.
Noah Brown Courtesy of Noah Brown/Instagram
“We never really had that type of relationship where it was like a fight or anything. We were good; we just kept our distance. The stress of a big family gets to some people, and it’s just considered one of those things. Just let’s let him live his life.”
Noah continued, “He and I were good, and I’m very, very thankful for that. I do wish, though, that there might have been more, but ultimately, that’s type of all the time the way it is. You mostly wish that you can have done more, regardless of how much it was that you just were doing.”
The Discovery Channel docudrama-style series followed Billy Brown and Ami Brown’s survival in Alaska’s distant wilderness before charting life in Washington state with their seven children: Matt, Noah, Joshua “Bam Bam” Brown, Bear Brown, Gabe Brown, Bird Brown and Rain Brown.
Bear confirmed Matt’s death via TikTok on Saturday, revealing that Noah was with a gaggle of personal residents who had recovered his oldest brother’s stays.
Matt Brown Courtesy of Matt Brown/Instagram
Noah detailed the group’s efforts during his conversation with Us. “Myself and the remainder of the those that were looking hauled [a] skiff up further on the shore, and that’s where it was … when the coroner got here,” Noah said. “At once, all I can say is that he was lost within the river. He was lost within the river, and we found him.”
The Brown family shared a press release addressing Matt’s death with Us on Sunday. “It’s with profound sadness and broken hearts that we share the lack of our beloved son, brother, uncle, and friend, Matthew Brown,” the statement read. “To hundreds of thousands of viewers, Matt was generally known as considered one of the unique stars of Alaskan Bush People. To us, he was so rather more.”
The statement continued, “Matt was intelligent, curious, creative, and endlessly fascinated by the world around him. He was a gifted outdoorsman who felt most at home on the water, within the wilderness, or sharing what he had learned with others. He was an achieved fisherman, an experienced boatman, and served because the radar operator on our family’s vessels. He loved adventure and never stopped exploring recent ideas.”
If you happen to or someone you already know is struggling or in crisis, help is on the market. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.