Missing navy veteran from Tantallon, N.S., found dead, family confirms

The family of a navy veteran from Tantallon, N.S., who was reported missing over a month ago has confirmed he has been found dead.

Michael Leo Brown was reported missing on May 7 under mysterious circumstances. In a release Friday, Nova Scotia RCMP said the 49-year-old had been found dead.

Brown’s family and friends confirmed his death in a joint statement.

“Mike’s family and friends would like to express a sincere thank you to the integrated HRP/RCMP VICE unit for their leadership in the investigation, as well as the members of the public and media who assisted them in their search for Mike,” the statement reads.

“We are now turning our efforts to saying good-bye and memorializing the amazing man Mike was.”

Brown was a retired sailor and served on the HMCS Athabaskan and HMCS Montreal. His family said that in his service to his country he participated in a number of harrowing missions, and by the time he had retired he considered himself to be a pacifist.

“His family is very proud of his service and he was well-loved by the people who served with him,” the statement said. “Michael’s time in the Navy resulted in the onset of PTSD, which would be activated when things felt ‘unsafe’ to him.”

The stress and uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as the events in Portapique, were “deeply affecting” Brown.

“He was very concerned about the state of the world, and that fear for the world activated his PTSD and he started to internalize and personalize the tragedy surrounding him,” the statement continued.

“He very much felt unsafe.”

1:59 Family of missing retired navy veteran concerned about his whereabouts

Brown’s family said his body was found on June 1 by a member of the public.

Police say foul play is not suspected.