GALVESTON — A man who jumped from the causeway bridge Wednesday morning was a construction worker who landed safely a few feet away.

“He was going from the bridge to one of the areas under construction,” said U.S. Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer Adam Wine. “The person who called it in saw him jump but did not see that he jumped to that area.”

Coast Guard crews joined Galveston Police and Beach Patrol in searching area waters Wednesday morning for the reported jumper.

Initial reports from the U.S. Coast Guard indicated that a caller claiming to be a Galveston city employee reported seeing a man jump off the bridge Wednesday morning.

Before it was known the “jumper” was a construction worker, police said Wednesday afternoon they thought the report could have been a crank call.

“There’s been nothing to generate a report from, no body or other evidence of a jumper found as of yet,” police Lt. Jorge Treviño said.

Treviño warned that making a false report can carry a punishment of up to a year or two years in jail, depending on the nature of the claim.

“Common sense should tell you, 911 is not for screwing around,” he said. “It’s for life-threatening emergencies.”