A report of a man wading into the water in his underwear at the North River Causeway west of Charlottetown turned out to be an overheated runner.

The RCMP, Charlottetown City Police, EMS, Coast Guard and the North River Fire Department were dispatched and deployed boats to search for the man just before 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Within the hour, he was located by the original concerned bystander in the parking lot at Boom Burger. He told police he was a marathon runner who cools off by swimming after a long run.

"The male was spoken to regarding safety concerns and being aware of public perception with this kind of activity," a police news release said.