An early-morning search for a missing horseback rider in Brown County State Park led to the arrest of the missing man Sunday afternoon.

Conservation officers for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources say that the incident started when 41-year-old Damion Brown of Brazil, his wife and another rider tried to return to their camp at the Horseman’s Campground early Sunday morning after a night of drinking. At some point, Brown fell off his horse and then got into a fight with his wife, conservation officers report. His wife and the other camper left the area, taking Brown’s horse with them.

When Brown had not shown up at the campground by about 3 a.m., conservation officers and park personell began searching for him on all-terrain vehicles and with a rescue dog. The Johnson County Mounted Sheriff’s unit was called in at daybreak. Brown was eventually found walking the trails at about 1 p.m.

He was arrested on a preliminary charge of domestic battery and he and his wife were ejected from the park.