A 56-year-old kayaker's body was found on the shores of the Mississippi River near Winona.

According to the Post Bulletin, the Department of Natural Resources called the Winona County Sheriff's Office around 9 p.m. Thursday evening to report a vehicle parked at the Minneiska boat landing.

Officials figured the owner probably went kayaking but hadn't returned, Winona Daily News reports. So crews started searching the area for the vehicle's owner.

Then after midnight, KTTC said authorities found a body washed up on the shore about 50 feet away from the boat landing.

The man has been identified as Timothy Carl Heim of Weaver – an avid kayaker.

He had been wearing a wetsuit and had cuts on his hands. Heim's body has been taken to Rochester for an autopsy.

The kayak hasn't been found yet.

Officials with the sheriff's office warn that river conditions may be dangerous this time of year.

"There are still chunks of ice ... that are still floating and are dangerous if you get caught up in them," Deputy Jeff Mueller told KTTC.