A kayaker whose boat capsized in the Des Moines River in Webster County Friday afternoon was found safe after a roughly one-hour search.

The man was found walking near the regional landfill south of Fort Dodge, according to Dylan Hagen, the Webster County emergency management coordinator.

“Apparently, he was fine,” Hagen said.

He said the man was wearing a lifejacket when he went into the water.

The situation was reported at about 1:30 p.m. when a driver crossing the Nelson Avenue bridge in Kalo spotted an empty kayak floating down the river and notified authorities.

Hagen said emergency responders talked with a group of kayakers who saw one of their friend’s empty kayaks float by them on the river and went looking for him.

A search involving three drones, three boats and personnel from 11 different agencies ensued. The search area included the Des Moines River between Fort Dodge and Dolliver Memorial State Park.

The search was stopped just before 2:30 p.m. when the man was found, according to Hagen.

The effort involved the Fort Dodge, Otho, Duncombe, Stratford, Lehigh, and Webster City fire departments; the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa State Patrol, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Webster County Emergency Management.