Rescue crews were searching the Kansas River east of the bridge at Eudora late Wednesday night for someone who reportedly fell off a jet ski and was swept away.

Lawrence Fire and Medical captain Pat Talkington, left, and Eudora Medical Service's Jim Kerby look for a jet skier who was reported floating down the Kansas River. The unidentified rider and jet ski were spotted from the bridge over the Kansas River north of Eudora by a passerby Wednesday evening.

A Eudora man and his son driving across the bridge from the north reported seeing a riderless jet ski close to the bank near the bridge and a person farther out into the water floating with the stream to the east.

Larry Flaherty and his son, Ricky Flaherty, said they couldn’t tell whether the person, who appeared to have blond hair, was a man or a woman. Although the victim appeared to have a life jacket on, he or she “was just lying there floating,” and didn’t appear to be conscious, Ricky Flaherty said.

Boats were launched to conduct a search. Water rescue crews were sent to the scene from Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical and Leavenworth County water rescue. Also at the scene were Eudora Police, Douglas County Sheriff’s officers, Eudora Emergency Medical Service, Eudora Township and Eudora City fire units, and the Reno Township fire from Leavenworth County.

Authorities in Johnson County and Bonner Springs also were alerted to check their areas.

Firefighters scanned the river with binoculars from the bridge until it became too dark. The search by boat continued.