Missing kayaker is found safe

The U.S. Coast Guard located a missing kayaker from Cape Girardeau on Wednesday heading down the Mississippi River between the Paducah, Kentucky, and Memphis, Tennessee, Coast Guard offices, said Capt. David James of the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department.

Chandler Daughton's truck, a Dodge 1500, was found Wednesday along the side of the road just north of the Headwaters Diversion Channel public access.

Sheriff's deputies and Cape Girardeau firefighters searched for Daughton and his kayak for about two hours Wednesday.

Coast Guardsmen gave Daughton a safety whistle and sent him on his way to New Orleans, James said.

The mother of the kayaker thought he might be headed to New Orleans to surprise his family while they were on vacation.