A man from the United States who went missing while holidaying in Queensland five years ago has been found alive.

In December 2010, Kenneth Rodman, then 55 years of age, was reported missing while visiting Australia on a tourist visa.

He was last sighted by a friend near Port Douglas and was believed to be heading to the beach near Mossman with his green kayak.

The kayak was later recovered from Wangetti Beach in January 2011.

Friends, family and police have been unable to make contact with him since 2010.

On Saturday, officers investigating a matter in the Smithfield area stumbled across the now 60-year-old man, who confessed to police that he had been listed as a missing person.

He has been featured regularly in police missing person's articles since 2010.

"Police would like to thank members of the public who have contacted Crime Stoppers over the past five years with information and reported sightings of him," a Queensland Police Service statement read.

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection has detained the man ahead of his removal from Australia.