Police Search For Man Seen Floating In Okanogan River, As Speculation Grows He Is Former Reality TV Star

Authorities in Okanogan County are searching for a man who they say was last seen in the waters of the Okanogan River on Wednesday afternoon.

The Okanogan County Sheriff's Office says deputies responded after someone called 9-1-1 to report they'd just spoken with a male who was sitting in the shallows of the river south of Oroville.

The caller reported they briefly turned away from the man, only to turn back around to find him floating face down in the water and drifting away in the current.

Up to four watercraft from the Sheriff's Office and the Washington State Department of Fish & Wildlife, along with an aerial drone and several divers were deployed to search for the man, but he has yet to be located.

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Police did recover a firearm from the water where the man was last seen, but have yet to confirm his identity and have reportedly encountered difficulties searching for him due to elevated river levels, swift current speeds, and debris in the water.

Although Sheriff's officials haven't said if the missing man's identity is known, many have taken to social media in speculation that it is likely former reality television star, Matt Brown.

The 43-year-old has previously appeared in the Discovery Channel show “Alaskan Bush People,” but stepped away from the program in 2019 after publicly citing his struggles with alcoholism and associated mental health issues.

According to reports from TMZ, Yahoo!, and Entertainment Weekly, Brown had recently been seen in the vicinity of the Driscoll Island Wildlife Area just off U.S. Highway 97, near to where the 9-1-1 call was reportedly made and where it's also believed by many that he'd recently filmed several videos later posted online which depicted him wandering naked and intoxicated while holding a firearm.