Police in Oregon said they spent thousands of dollars searching for a man reported missing who turned out to be on a camping trip.

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Cornelius Police Cmdr. Ed Jensen said the U.S. Forrest Service and law enforcement agencies in Oregon's Linn, Lane and Marion counties got involved in searching for William Peterson after his wife, Pam, reported him missing June 7 after he failed to return from an overnight fishing trip, The (Portland) Oregonian reported Tuesday.

However, when the missing man was located Saturday, Jensen said police received a new part of the story.

He said Peterson was found when he called his wife Saturday to ask if he was welcome back home. Peterson told police he and his wife had argued before he left and she gave him an ultimatum that included an invitation to move out of the house -- a choice he accepted, but later regretted.

"There was a lot of money spent looking for someone who wasn't truly missing," Jensen said. "I'm pretty sure there is no recourse at this time (but) it definitely tied up a lot of resources that, in this day and age of tight budgets, could make a lot of difference."

Pam Peterson, who said she had forgotten about the argument, apologized for the situation and said her husband is safely back at home.